Finding Home
by gabriel blessing
Summary: My second fic, from the 90's. The one and only: Ranma Saotome and Sailor Galaxia. What it means to be lost, and what it means to be found, and the perils of searching for a place to call Home.
1. Chapter 1

Finding a home.

Prologue

Disclaimer: 1) these aren't my characters. I don't own any of them. They belong to talented people and crafty companies. 2) This isn't a sequel to Finishing what you start.

I suppose I should feel something, as I'm flying through the air. I should think on how inspiring the view is up here, all Tokyo sprawled out beneath me. I can see little cars and even smaller people scurrying about like ants. Or maybe I should be swearing vengeance. I should be thinking 'I'm going to kill the violent tomboy' or something. But all I can really do is sigh to myself, and wait till I hit the ground. From the rapid way its approaching, that won't be long now. I prepare for the final stages of my descent checking to see if there's anyone in the way of my 'landing pad'. All clear. Good. Now I just land.

SMASH

The concrete beneath me shatters under the pressure of my landing. A spider web of stress fissures creep out from around me, and I just lay there for a couple of seconds. The first couple of times I had had this happen to me, it had hurt. A lot. Now I barely have to shake my head twice before I can stand, and take a deep breath before I could walk away. It was kind of depressing.

Being depressed is stupid. I mean, what good does it do? It doesn't help you come up with a plan. It doesn't win you aid from those around you. Hell, it doesn't even make you feel better. I mean, getting depressed is all well and good for that pig-head Ryoga, but I have to keep my head up. I have to keep moving forward. I have to uphold my family's honor. I have to...

Screw it. I have to get drunk off my ass. I hear it helps when you feel like shit.

I stand up and stretch up a bit before I leave. Behind me is a new pothole in the outline of a human. I might be imagining this, but I think I can make out the impression of a little pigtail in the settling dust surrounding the concrete. Wow, how cool is that? Now where can I go to get a drink? I've never really tried it before, having seen what drinking had done to my dad.

I set out down the street, the sky darkening. The sun had set a few minutes ago, around the time Akane had concluded her attempts at cooking. Now I'm willing to admit that I have a few rough edges. I'm not the most polite of people, or the most socially adjusted. I think the biggest problem I have is honesty. I honestly tell Akane that she's a tomboy. I honestly tell her that she's strong as a gorilla. I honestly tell her that no sane man without a death wish would ever touch her cooking.

Honesty really doesn't get you anywhere in life. Except for maybe a couple hundred feet into the air, which it did me. A lot.

I heave a sigh. How long had I been here in Nerima? Five months? Six? And why am I still here? Nothing has gone right for me while I've stayed here. I thought that maybe I could have a few friends. I hear that friends are good things to have, but so far all I've gotten is Ryoga and Mousse. I don't think they really count as friends. When I had found out about the whole fiancé bit, I had crossed my fingers behind my back and hoped for a chance. Meet a nice girl, maybe start a relationship. Instead I had gotten Akane. And Ukyou. And Shampoo. And Kodachi. And...

That's really too many 'and's.

I stop for a moment to take stock of where I am. It's now completely dark, and the street I'm standing on is lit by the soft glow of some fluorescent street lamps. A few moths pitifully bash themselves into the lights, fooled by the synthetic glow into ignoring the moon. Moth's instinctively fly towards the brightest light around them. Usually that light is the moon. I suppose its natures way of leading them to where they have to be, to keep them flying around. To lead them home. But now-a-days the sky's are filled with electric lights, false glows. The poor creatures can't make out the brightness of the moon in the sky, and are instead led astray by streetlamps, or to their deaths by flames.

I suppose that should be some kind of metaphor. Yes, I know what that word means. I'm not an idiot, just under educated. Anyway, I suppose that is some kind of metaphor, but right now I couldn't care less.

I'm shaken from my thoughts by a shout a little way up the street from where I'm slowly trudging along. A man stumbles out of building in front of me, yelling something cheerfully behind him. He certainly looks happy. Maybe alcohol really is a good thing. A street lamp with colored lights depicting bottles of alcohol announce the place as a bar. Well, this is what I'm looking for. I trudge up to it as the drunk man trudges past. He nods at me easily as he stumbles off, and then begins to sing cheerfully.

I stop before I open the door and enter the establishment. Do I really want to do this? So far I had kind of prided myself on the fact that I've never gotten drunk before. I've always thought of drinking as a stupid thing to do, deadening the reflexes and poisoning the body. I mean, look at my old man. He drank and look how he turned out. As I hesitate, I chance to look up the street and freeze. Coming down the intersection two blocks away was a certain Chinese girl on a bike carrying a case of take out ramen. That settles it. I'm in the doors of the bar before you can say, 'lather, rinse, repeat'.

Inside my sensitive senses are assaulted by the sudden onslaught of sensations. Loud music blares in the background from a prismatic jukebox and dim lights pulse in one corner. The harsh smoke of a dozen lit cigarettes makes me cough. A fair sized crowd inhabits the surprisingly spacious main room. I'm not used to this many people around, and to tell the truth, I'm a little intimidated by their numbers and appearances. I don't care how well trained you are, enough shaved heads, pierced noses, and tattoos will freak out anyone.

I'm just about to call myself a fool and leave when a voice booms out beside me. "How old are you, son?" I look to my left and find the bouncer. Six foot five and about three hundred pounds, he looks tough. But I'm a highly trained martial artist, and I could tell by his stance, his posture, and his muscle tone that I could take this guy five drops our of five. He apparently isn't as good a judge of fighting prowess as I am, because he continues. "You should leave. I don't think you can handle this kind of place."

I straighten my back. No one talks to me like that. "You want to arm wrestle over it?" I grin viciously.

Afterwards he decided to let me in after all. I was nice and popped his shoulder back in.

I walk to the bar, and plop myself down between two other customers and get the bartenders attention.

"Wha'da'ya want, kiddo?" he asks me. His tone is neither antagonistic nor condescending. It sounds like a question he's asked a lot.

"Whatever," I tell him. "Just pick me something alcoholic." He nods and fetches me a generic brand of beer. I pay for a drink, and after the first gulp, and the consequential sputtering and hacking, I take my bottle away from the bar. I didn't like being in the center of all of these strange people, especially when they're laughing at you for coughing up your beer. Taking a position near the door, I nod at the bouncer, who warily nods back, still rubbing his shoulder. I've never been to the land of the drunk before, and I had no idea how long it would take to get me there. That didn't really bother me that much. I had the time and the money.

People tend to think that I'm broke most of the time. It's probably from the way that Nabiki always cheats me. The truth of the matter is I just pay to keep her off my back, and it's not really that hard to get some cash. I just dress up like an innocent little girl, and wait for someone to try and mug me. After I knock them out, I go through their pockets for loose change. I figure, hey, I take down some scum and pick up some cash. Win-win. Getting Nabiki off your shoulder is a lot harder. She will hover around you until she divines someway to fit you into her life. I figure the easiest way would be to be fitted under the 'scam' section. As long as she thinks of me as a sucker, her attention should be diverted onto other things. God help me if she decides to think of me as 'potential fiancé'.

I turn my attention back to my beer. Time to deal with my depression in a mature fashion.

Gulp.

----

I don't know how much time had passed, but I was getting ready to complain to the barkeeper about that weird buzzing sound in the background, when I noticed her. Now, I'm not a pervert. Let me get that straight. Hell, I have trouble looking at a woman's body sometimes without yawning. Not that I'm gay, but it's just that after you've had a pair of breasts, you don't really need to stare at them quite as much as you used too. I hardly ever just stop and watch a well hottie go by anymore (that's becoming too risky with the fiancés out there), but this one caught my eye.

She was wearing something that looked kind of like a twisted cross between a school uniform and a Roman centurion's armor, and she was wearing it well. She had longish honey-blond hair mostly tucked under strange headgear, and she just had a look on her face. A look like she was lost or desperate for something.

It might have been what she was wearing, or how she carried herself, or just the way she looked. Maybe I just recognized that look on her face. I've seen it on my own when I'm in the bath alone sometimes. All I know is that the moment I put my eyes on her, I can tell she's something different. She just seemed to scream it. I shake off a second of stupefied staring (no doubt caused by the beers) and stretch my ears to hear what she was asking the bartender over the noise.

"Do you know the place where stars are born?" she says. "Strong stars, weak stars, their light, their power, all of it is born from there."

The words strike me like a physical blow. Where stars are born? My brain feels like it explodes, and beneath the pain I can almost see a place. A huge pit, filled with the most beautiful star lit liquid I have ever seen. The image and the pain is gone in a second, but the memory of the surreal landscape remains, hovering in my brain like a fog. I only barely hear the bartender's response.

"Listen lady," the bartender said. "I don't think I can serve you anything. You sound like you might be a little drunk already." She just nods resignedly. Its painfully obvious that the question had been an honest one. It was also painfully obvious that the answer she got here wasn't that an unusual one. She turns to leave the bar.

Just as she's about to leave, I surprise myself by talking. "I know where stars are born," I say, in a voice just above a whisper. I don't know how she heard me, but she stops in her tracks and gives me a quick look. I can almost see her sag again when she identifies me as the one who had spoken. I can only imagine how I look. A sixteen year old with a pigtail, Chinese clothes, and five empty beer bottles scattered around the booth in front of me. I don't even know why I had said that. Maybe I'm drunker than I thought.

"Somehow," she sighs, "I doubt that." As she turns to leave again, once more my mouth moves without me telling it to.

"Zero Star of Sagittarius."

She freezes completely. I can almost see her begin to shake. The bouncer next to the door starts to move over to give her a hand, but she pushes him away without even trying. I wince in sympathy when the poor guy bounces of the wall. It just wasn't his night. I fuzzily wonder how she managed to do that, when she turned to me again and pinned me with the most intense stair I have ever had the opportunity to take.

"What?"

"I said, 'Zero Star of Sagittarius.' The center of the galaxy." Where did that come from? I've never really studied astrology or astronomy. I can't tell one constellation from another. I don't even know what zodiac sign I am.

She slowly moves across the distance between us, walking like she's in a dream, and takes a seat in the booth opposite me. She leans forward and studies me intensely. I sigh, and ignore her stare as I take another swig of the beer in front of me.

"What makes you say that?" she asked me quietly. I can read a desperate hope in her face. I don't know what she's thinking right now. Maybe that this is the end of whatever it was she's been looking for. I feel a surge of regret, knowing that I can't help her anymore.

"I don't know," I answer truthfully.

"How do you know that?" she insists.

"I really don't know," I insist.

"Why did you just say that then?" she asked, her expression loosing some of its shine.

"Look," I tell her. "I don't know why I said what I said, or what it means. It just kind of came out."

"Well then," she asks desperately. "What do you know?"

I stare at her a second, before I reach a conclusion. I must be drunker than I thought. I extend my hand. "I know my name's Ranma Saotome."

She stares at the hand, dumbstruck, and makes no move to except it. I can imagine what she's thinking. 'The kids just a drunk spouting gibberish and trying to hit on me.' Oh well. Maybe I was. The first part anyway. I was not trying to hit on her.

I sigh again. "I don't know how I knew what to say, or why I said it." She keeps staring at my hand. "But I do know that sometimes weird things happen around me. Maybe what I said was nothing. But maybe it isn't." I withdraw my hand. Oh well. I had tried to make friends. I rise to my feet, and discover that I'm drunker than I had thought. I lean against the side of the booth I had been in. I take advantage of my enforced slouching position to dig into my pocket and pull out some bills. I don't know how much they are, but I toss a lot of them onto the table. That should cover it. As I leave I tuck a twenty into the bouncers front pocket. "Thanks big guy. Better luck next time," I tell him, and stumble out into the night.

The air around me is cold, and it bights into my blurry haze. This hadn't been that bad actually. The sky around me is black now, all traces of sunset gone. The electric lamps with their insect satellites blot out most of the stars, but a few of the brighter ones are still visible. I stare at them for a second, and than point a finger into an empty space in the center of the sky, and make a shooting noise. "The Zero Star of Sagittarius." I don't know how I know it, or why I pointed there, but I was suddenly sure that that's where whatever it was, was.

As I lean against the wall for a second, I hear a soft chime of the door to the bar opening. I don't turn my head, but I can just make out a metallic looking school uniform and blond hair in my peripheral vision..

"My name is Galaxia," she tells me.

"Hello Galaxia," I smile blearily at her. "Sorry about this."

Author's note.

If any of you don't know who Galaxia is, then shame on you. Read the manga, or find a translation on the web. She's all the way in the last arc.


	2. Chapter 2

Finding a home

Chapter 1

Disclaimer. I didn't do it.

Author's new note: For those of you who haven't figured it out, this is a Ranma/Sailor Moon Crossover. More specifically, a Ranma, Sailor Moon Manga Crossover. It's pretty hard to find copies of the Manga these days, seeing how dated it is, but there is a specific website I used for pretty much a line by line translation. The exact website is given later on in my work, though I'm not sure if it's even still available. For those of you who know the real story, enjoy my interpretation. For those of you who don't, enjoy a chance to read a story that follows the original Sailor Moon plot without any pretences being taken on it. The scenes I use are not exact play by play. I only used what was important for the plot I was trying to put out.

"Where on earth am I know?" I ask myself as I shield my eyes to look around. No, I'm not a certain idiot wannabe martial artist that turns into a pig. This is still me, Ranma. Whereas Ryoga would have shouted that last bit in a useless attempt to draw attention to his suffering, I mutter it to myself under my breath. The pack on my shoulder carrying all my worldly possessions bites into me in an uncomfortable fashion, so I shift it higher up on my back.

I can't really remember how long I've been doing it. Pulling Ryogas. I imagine it started soon after I left Nerima. On the day I left that bitter-sweet prefecture, I couldn't really care less where I was heading. I just wanted to get away from that place. I walked and walked, not particularly fast or hard, but just walked until suddenly I realized that I had no idea where I was. I panicked for a moment, frantically searching my surroundings for some clue to my whereabouts, and then I stopped. Where did it matter where I was? I didn't have anyplace to be, no one to meet, no schedule to maintain, so why did itmatter that I was lost?

I kept on walking that day, and I guess I never really stopped. While all this does nothing to point out where I am, it does point out why I am where I am.

I take stock of my surroundings, the scenery and the people, not so much looking for anything, but looking for something nonetheless. I was inside somewhere with people streaming around me, coming and going at will. The walls are inlaid with a dozen stores, selling anything from the daily paper to shaving equipment to fast food. A large signal board with city names and times hovers high up on the walls, and the windows on one side looks open on a large open field of concrete. A string of oddly dressed chanting people marches by me.

Ah. The Hari Crishnas gave it away. I'm in an airport.

Well, one place is as good as the next. Might as well grab some food.

I take a seat in one of the bucket-like plastic seats that lay in rows for passengers to lounge on, and take stock of what I had on me. Item A: Dirty canvas clothes in a Chinese cut. Item B: Dirty and patched backpack containing items C, D, and E: a change of clothes, a wrapped Katana, and some cooking pots and utensils.

Nowhere on that list is any thing even remotely resembling money. Oh, well. I don't have time to go mug a mugger, so plan A (paying) is out of the picture. I guess I'll have to resort to plan B.

I re-shoulder my pack, and head off to the men's room. Not too difficult to find in an airport. Once in, I check to see if I'm alone, and a quick splash later, a decidedly redheaded woman walks out of the men's bathroom. I nod pleasantly to a pair of guys about to enter the restroom, and ignore their gawks.

I guess I should mention that while I pull the occasional getting lost trick, I take it nowhere near the extent that Ryoga did. I can get lost when I put my mind to it, not when I'm turning around. I think of getting lost as a martial arts technique involving intense inner concentration, to the extent of not paying any attention to my surroundings. Since losing myself only happens when I want to, I have no trouble prowling through the stores, searching for what I need.

There. In that bakery. The clerk working the register is a young man, seventeen or so. He has a slumped posture that denotes his boredom, no line in front of him, and is the only one working there. Perfect. I tighten my belt to make me look thinner and my shirt tighter, and begin my attack.

I start at the end of the counter, walking hesitantly into his store, blinking and looking about like I'm lost. I pretend not to notice as the clerk perks up at the sight of me. I walk in a way that accents my current gender without looking like I'm doing it on purpose. Stopping in front of a glass display counter, I reach out delicately, and touch the display with one finger, before withdrawing it quickly. I take a second to look very sad, and stare at the floor as though lost in thought.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" the clerk asks. Excellent. I put on a startled waking expression and look around for a second, before my gaze settles on him.

"Oh, no," I say hurriedly. "I-I'm just looking." Now his curiosity is aroused. He's thinking something along the lines of 'what a hottie' and 'she looks like she's hungry'.

"Is there anything you want?" he asks oh so innocently.

"I-I'm sorry," I stutter out. "I don't have any money. I better just go." I turn and begin to walk away slowly, slumped.

"Wait a second," the sucker, I mean clerk, calls after me. "Here," he offers me a medium sized sandwich from the case that I had been looking at. I feign hesitation.

"I really shouldn't.." I begin, and he cuts me off.

"I insist." Well then, if he insists...

Five minutes later I'm relaxing on one of those omni-present bucket chairs that airports provide for people waiting for their planes. In one hand is a half eaten sandwich, and in the other is a courtesy cup of water from another store. My pack lays next to my feet, and I sit back and enjoy my meal. I suppose I should feel some kind of shame in suckering that poor boy out of a sandwich, but I had no money and was hungry, and now the kid's probably feeling really good about himself for helping an innocent damsel in distress.

Me, a damsel. There's a laugh.

I could remember a time when I had gone around saving damsels in distress. It wasn't really that long ago, but it feels like ages. Back when Nerima was a madhouse. I could remember the fiancés and rivals flocking to me like I was a shining candle, and they were moths. They probably had led normal lives until I had stumbled in on them like a bull into a china store. After I had passed, they had followed, and when I found that temporary respite in Nerima, they had came to join me in my settling.

Those crazy days had been like a whirlpool in the stream of time. There had been a while there when every day had been an adventure, full of romance and action, a constant struggle, an escape from the tedium of real life. It had all begun small and slowly gained strength, like an avalanche crashing down a mountain.

And like an avalanche it had taken its toll on the surroundings, and eventually slowed to a halt.

I guess if you sat down and studied it carefully, the beginning of the end would be when Shampoo had decided to attack Ukyou for spending time with me. In truth, Shampoo never even got to cross bonboris with Ukyou's spatula. When Konatsu had discovered Shampoo's intentions, he had interfered. And we all know what happens when an outsider man beats an Amazon woman in combat. I never saw it coming, and before I know it, Shampoo had decided that she wasn't that repulsed to the idea of marrying Konatsu.

I think all of Nerima had face faulted when that news had came out.

I take another bite of my sandwich and look around me at all the people. There are so many different types wandering around. Clean cut business men, colorful tourists, religious organizations handing out fliers, janitorial staff cleaning up the litter that accumulates throughout a busy workday, and others. They come and go as they will, all hurrying importantly about as though lives depend on their every move. I don't know. Maybe somebody does depend on them. I'd really rather not think about it.

I've taken a sip of my water, and another bite when I notice the crowd around one of the gates. A swarm of fifty or sixty teenage-girl types wearing clothes that they really shouldn't wear in public have gathered by one of the gates. They all looked excited and happy, murmuring breathlessly to each other. I can see an occasional flap of poster board flash out from among them, most bearing some message about "Lights" or something. I can't help but wonder what's going on, so when a girl that looked like she belonged in that aforementioned crowd tries to rush by me, I stop her.

"Hey, I'm sorry for botherin' ya," I tell her, as she starts when I catch her elbow. She looks at me with big curious eyes as I continue. "-But could ya tell me what's goin' on over there?" I indicate towards the gate I had been watching earlier.

Her eyes light up and she clutches her hands to her chest and bounces. "It's, like, so cool! The Three Lights are, like, going to be, like, coming here. And that's, like, the fan club." She apparently notices the blank look I'm giving her. "You've never, like, heard of the Three Lights? They're, like the coolest pop band ever!" She shakes loose of my grip and to run to join the rest of the club. "Like, bye," she shouts back.

I sit down again, and rub my head before picking up my drink and taking another bite of my diminishing meal. How many times had she used the word 'like' in that sentence? It, like, boggles the mind. So. Another pop band. They'll be forgotten within the month, I can almost guarantee it. They'll spend all their money, convinced that they're the greatest thing since martial arts, and end up in debt when all their baby bopper fans move onto the next latest craze. Its sad.

As I take another ponderous chomp out of my sandwich, leaving maybe just a little bit left in my hand, I turn my attention to another gate. Ah, now there's a cute picture. A young woman, probably in high school standing close to a young man. I can make out tears in their eyes from all the way across the airport. The woman says something to the man and the man says something back, leaning into to talk into her ear in an intimate fashion. He manages to avoid the woman's hair, which is dragged up into two meatball-like shapes on the top of her head, rather skillfully. They must have been going out for some time. As I chew slowly the young man pulls out a little box, and opens it before the woman's eyes.

Well. A proposal. Even though I'm a complete stranger to the two, I feel a little glow settle in me. The woman had responded to the ring offered to her enthusiastically, and I can't help it. I get up and begin to walk towards them to offer congratulations. I shoulder my pack with the ease of practice, taking a final sip of my water, before lobbing it across the lobby into a trashcan as I take the final bite of my sandwich. As I chew slightly I look at the two again. The man leaning over the woman. The woman with her eyes half closed and her mouth upturned. The strangely clad golden haired woman about to plunge her hand into the young man's back. The...

Wait a second. Strangely clad golden haired woman?

My eyes widen as the strangely clad golden haired woman raises her arm...

Damn. I take a deep breath to yell a warning, and suddenly discover that I'm still chewing on a piece of sandwich. My eyes tear up slightly as I gag and choke before finally gaining control of myself, but by then its too late. The young man dissolves and the strangely dressed golden haired woman disappears in a flash of golden light, taking something shining that had remained behind when the young man had disintegrated. The woman, who just a second ago had been having the happiest moment of her life, faints dead away.

I have to help her. But even as the thought goes through my head, three disgustingly pretty young men surround her and began to take her away. My eyes narrow. What the hell is going on?

Throughout the entire event, I had been heading towards the couple, and by now I'm a little over half the distance there. I open my mouth to shout a question at the three men fleeing with the woman, when another voice cuts through the air.

"Like, that's them! The Three Lights!!"

I freeze up as I suddenly hear a sound that I haven't heard since Happosai's panty raids. The sound of a large body of women running as fast as they can. Right towards me...

SLAM. Trample trample trample.

Ouch.

---

Okay. Lets take a moment to carefully study the situation. After I had recovered from the stampeding in the airport, I had quickly discovered where I was. Tokyo again, though not in Nerima. I had a small flash of guilty pleasure over that. I really don't want to ever go back to Nerima. Now I was in a section called Juuban. I had just witnessed a rather nice looking couple's happiness been hopelessly torn asunder by some strange chick, and then watched the poor girl from the couple collapse and be taken away by three strange looking guys, who end up being some kind of hot new boy band.

That's really strange.

I'm now resting in the Juuban park, sitting in the shade beneath a tree, once more a guy. I had some time before it would be dark enough for me to truly tempt some stupid thug to pick up some cash, so I didn't have any money for food or shelter, but I don't think that really matters that much. I'll get the two in the end. What's important now is what I'm going to do next.

Over the last couple of years, I had discovered just how effective getting lost is. Especially when crazy things have a habit of happening around me. I would turn up in the strangest places, at the strangest times, to the most amazing situations. It was kind of gratifying really. I would do my best to help the people involved as best I could, and sometimes things would turn out for the better. After seeing these strange events, I can't contain my desire to do something. To help.

I wanted to see the man and the woman from the airport end up happy together.

Now, how to go about that?

Two things about the whole event strike me as odd. Alright, the whole event strikes me as odd, but two events more so than the rest. The first is how those three guys, the Three Lights I think they were called, had managed to get to that girl's side so quickly. It had been like they had known what was about to happen, and when they had arrived they hadn't acted like they were too surprised by the events. Very suspicious. I might have to look into them some more.

The second thing about the situation had been that woman. That golden haired woman wearing that odd outfit. There was something about her. Not just the fact that she had apparently dissolved that man and torn something glowing out of the remains. There had been something about her that struck some kind of chord in me. Something... familiar...

I sigh and lean back against the tree I'm under, staring at the sky around the foliage. I think that the strangely dressed woman (I think I'll refer to her as Weird-Clothes for the sake of saving time) will be next to impossible to hunt down, especially as she had disappeared after the deed had been done. My best bet for the moment would be to find out some more about the band, the Three Lights. They had had a pretty big following at the airport. I might as well find out more about them.

I nod to myself. That would be the best place to start for the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

Finding Home.

Chapter two

Author's new note: If any of you have tracked down the anime of the final season, you will quickly note that I had quickly killed off one of the main characters. Despite how episodic the anime was, the original Sailor Moon Manga was very quick to kill off the main enemy bad guys. A trend I wish had carried out to the cartoons for most series I watch. I mean seriously. Dragon Ball Z is a staple to fighting anime everywhere, but do they really have to spend twenty minutes flexing their pecks, uttering man screams, and talking about how 'they've never felt a power as powerful as this awesome power is' ?

Disclaimer: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Wait a second. That's not a disclaimer…

Fantastic Music Hall in Shibuya. I look up from the slip of paper in my hand to the building in front of me. It's a fairly large building tucked away between several tall office buildings in the middle of a fair sized city. A large board with plastic letters slipped into it proclaims "Tonight: Michiru Kaiou and the Three Lights". Looks like I had found my place. The little concrete plaza in front of the performance center is filled with a rather unique ensemble of people. This 'Michiru' chick is supposedly a really good violinist, and she attracts a nice crowd of well dressed individuals. The Three Lights, on the other hand, and gathered together one of the rudest, noisiest, annoying, crowds I've ever seen. And right in the middle of this mess of people is me, neither well dressed nor baby bopper.

It hadn't been easy to get here. They had only announced this concert a couple of days ahead of time in order to try to allow some fans of the violinist to get tickets before they teenage girls all got a hold of them. I had only found out about it several days afterwards, and when I went to get tickets, I discovered that they had been sold out. I shudder for a second, remembering how I had found out about this concert. Going incognito as a redhead, I had hit the Three Lights fan club in an effort to find out about the band. In consequence to my actions, I had been subjected to a hideous barrage of young women proclaiming how 'cute' they were, and filling my pure ears with all sorts of gutterish drivel that never should come out of girls that young. I had needed a bath after listening to them. But through it all I stuck to it. Let it never be said that Ranma Saotome ever lost when it counted, especially to a bunch or adolescent hyper-obsessed boy band fans.

Which brings me to my current situation. Trying to get into a sold out concert without tickets.

I brush an errant lock of black hair out of my face, and re-shoulder my pack in what was quickly becoming a habitual gesture. I don't want to sneak in, but I have too. Now if I can just figure out how to go about it. The building is three stories high, and there are windows on the upper levels, but none that open up. That rules out jumping up and climbing in. The front doors all have bouncer type men working them to pick up the tickets. I could take them down, but that would be drawing just a bit too much attention to me. Sighing slightly, I push through the crowd. I should check the entire building for extra entrances. I might be able to sneak in through a back door or something.

The building is fairly large, so I take some time going around the thing. The eastern edge is a narrow alley, as is the west. The north and south edges are both entrances, and both guarded by ticket-takers. Oh well. I am a premier martial artist. I might as well use my techniques.

I duck back into the eastern alley, and pull out a handkerchief. "Shooting star iron cloth defense," I whisper into the air as I twirl it around in front of me. The piece of cloth is ridiculously small, but to anyone who might have been watching, that doesn't matter as my body completely disappears from sight afterwards. I tuck the still visible hankie into my pocket, and it disappears as well. No point in wasting it.

I slip through the crowd, which during my tour of the building had diminished greatly, without touching anyone, and brush past the bouncer at the door. He doesn't even blink. Man I am good.

The hallways are lined with eager music fans buying greasy food and low quality t-shirts at rip-off rates. I ignore both of the two, though my stomach doesn't. A few fans give the place I was standing a look over, and I sigh in relief when they apparently dismiss it. What a horrible time to have your stomach rumble.

I move from the hallway circling the performance area quickly, not trusting my luck to hold while invisible among so many people. The actual arena where the performance would be taking place was a large semicircle surrounding medium to small stage area. An open space for the dancing that would take place when the Three Lights played covers the area immediately in front of it. A row of slowly ascending seats spread out from that, taking up the space to the back wall. The two are separated by a row of metal bars forming a medium sized fence. I move swiftly through the aisle in the center of the room. That will serve nicely. I hop up onto the little fence, and quickly run along it as easily as along a chain link fence. Now where would be the best place to wait? It wouldn't do to tempt fate by standing in the center. You never can tell when something might happen to make you loose control of your concentration. Like if someone were to decide to throw rotten fruit at the Lights. Hmm. I wonder if I saved some of those apples from two days ago…

Nah. I already ate them. Damn.

After I make myself comfortable, on the far right side of the performance area balanced on the fence, I sit back and wait for the show to start.

As the crowd begins to filter in more, I take a second to wonder about why I'm here. I mean, what am I expecting to happen? I'm sure that if the three guys really are responsible for something fishy, they're not going to just step up on the stage and reveal their master plan for world domination or whatever. Oh well. I can always follow them home from here and start a stake out on them. While I don't really anticipate this being any kind of terribly difficult job, it still doesn't sound really appealing. I wish I had other things to do than follow around a bunch of suspicious band members.

I take a second off from my musing as something brushes across my face suddenly. I start a little, but calm down when I see its just a moth. Stupid little bug. It has no reason to be here. I wonder what it thinks its doing? As I watch the insect, the lights in the arena begin to dim. The crowd begins to murmur in anticipation, and suddenly spot lights blink on from the ceiling, casting two long beams of illumination on the stage. In one stood a piano. The other captured a microphone. The crowd silences for a second, and then breaks into cheers as two women walk onto the stage. They stop for a second standing in the light around the microphone, and bow. Then one of the women, a tall blonde with an arrogant little swagger continues on to the piano. The other women, an elegant lady with aquamarine hair carrying a violin, takes another bow, and fit's the violin to her chin.

The moth I was watching flutters away into the dark of the arena, and I turn my attention to the stage. Let the show begin.

The two play a series of duets for the piano and the violin. I'll give them this much. They kept me awake. That's a bigger compliment then you think. I've never found music terribly interesting before, and the fact that these two had my attention for nearly three fourths of an hour speaks mountains about their skill. I clap a little when they finish, trusting the general noise to drown out my own contribution. The one at the piano takes a place by the violin player, I guess she's Michiru, and the two hold hands while the blonde bows and Michiru curtsies. I raise an eyebrow. So. The two are an item. Well, they make a cuter couple then when Ukyo and Kodachi ran off together. I still shudder at the thought of Ukyo in the grasps of that madwoman. Kuno seemed to agree with me about that, because he vowed to save his 'twisted sister' from the 'low born servant boy'. They ran off, and last heard from them was a letter from Ukyo, saying she's was happy and somewhere in Hokkaido. I sigh to myself. As long as she's happy, I'm happy for her.

I just wish she could of chose someone a little less scary to be happy with. It would make me visiting my old friend a lot less of a nervous experience.

While I had been lost in thought, the pianist and the violinist had left the stage, and a sudden roar from the crowd draws my attention back to the stage as the reason for me being here comes out. The Three Lights. The crowd goes wild as the band begins their set.

My eyes narrow as I study them from across the floor. That was them all right. The ones who had taken that girl after her boyfriend had been taken by Weird-Clothes.

Like the last act the Three Lights keep my attention, but for different reasons entirely. I catalogue the way they move, act, sound, and look. After only five minutes of inspection, I have confirmed my suspicion about the three. There is something very suspicious about them. Little things gave it away: their balance, their endurance under the harsh lights, their lack of shortness of breath despite their onstage antics. I got the distinct impression that these three were hiding something about themselves.

After the three finished their set, I turned my attention away from the stage and listened to the crowd as it goes wild. Voices surrounded me in a cacophony of noise.

"They are, like so cute!"

"That was awesome!"

"Eleven Sailor crystals. Lady Galaxia will reward me!"

"I hope we get an encore!"

"Whee-hoooo!"

As the Three Lights get up on stage again for an encore, I stop for a second. Eleven Sailor crystals? What was that all about? I search the crowd for the one that had shouted that. When I find her, its all I can do to prevent the sweat drop. We have a winner.

Dressed in something resembling bell-shaped lingerie, and wearing glasses, she was cackling maliciously and rubbing her hands together. Her outfit was daring, even considering what some of the others around her were wearing. I shake my head. What is the world coming to? In my day…

Never mind that. Now that I think about it, some of the outfits my ex's had worn were kind of more revealing.

The strangely dressed one stops cackling and strikes a pose. "I, Sailor Iron Mouse," she begins her declaration, "-demand that you sacrifice your sailor crystals to the Lady Galaxia!" She proceeds to toss a five foot wide ball or energy at the stage.

That got my attention real fast.

I hoped down from my perch, moving carefully to avoid detection, though with all the screaming and running by the other fans its not that hard. The strange girl, Sailor Iron Mouse, was less than ten feet away and shouting for something called 'sailor scouts'. I narrowed my eyes and considered my options. It was a girl, so I couldn't just attack her. Damn my old man for always telling me that women are weak. Even all these years later, after all the female martial artists I've met, I still have trouble hitting them. But I can't just let her run-a-muck. Grimacing I prepare to attack her from behind.

Fortunately, something happens to distract me from her. Five girls in yet another embarrassingly short skirted school girl costume stand up and announce themselves.

"I am Sailor Mercury!" one in a blue skirt calls.

"Mars," another in red.

"Venus," a blonde in orange.

"Jupiter," tall and brunette.

"Moon!," the final one, another blonde with two suspiciously familiar braids down her back, proclaims. I start when I recognize her. The woman from the airport! What is she doing here, like this?!

"I've been waiting for you sailor scouts," Iron Mouse declares. My eyes widen as I feel something start to radiate from her. She holds up her arm and shouts, "Galactica Crunch!"

I'm moving before I realize it. My foot lashes out and strikes one of the foldable bottoms of one of the chairs. The force of my kick sends it flying and the cushioned part strikes Iron Mouse in the arm just as her attack is launched. The projectile hits the arm and knocks the attack askew, to the astonishment of both Iron Mouse and the five others.

All eyes turn to where I'm standing, searching for where that attack had came from. The sudden action has disrupted my concentration enough, so that under the combined and intense scrutiny of the six girls my technique wavers. I give it up altogether, and I'm treated to the sight of the eyes of all present widening as I appear from out of nowhere.

"Hi," I tell them, scratching the back of my head absently. "I'm Ranma Saotome, of the anything goes school of martial arts." It seemed like the polite thing to say, seeing how all of the others had introduced themselves.

All six of the assembled girls in front of me 'blink blink'.

I'm saved from further scrutiny by shouts of "Space turbulence" and "Submarine violin tide". My attention is jerked towards the shouts from halfway across the open floor. Two more scouts stand there, resplendent in dark skirts and bows. My eyes narrow in a split second as the faintest tingle of recognition rushes through me. If I didn't know any better I'd say those two look suspiciously like Michiru and that pianist…

My attention is dragged from those two as their attacks home in on Iron Mouse. She desperately swings her arm up, and the two blasts of power disappear with out harming her. It looks like they had been sucked into the bracer on her arm. Could it have some kind of power?

I find my answer out a second later as another shout sounds off. "Star Sensitive Inferno," is followed by a bolt of power, this time aimed specifically at the bracelet still being held up in front of Iron Mouse. The blow shatters the jewelry, and I grimace at the rather messy looking dissolution of Iron Mouse. So. The bracelet is the source of her power, and apparently her life.

My attention is drawn back to the stage, where the attack that had finished of Iron Mouse had come from. Three women stand there, dressed in yet another slinky set of outfits. Am I the only one here today with a sense of modesty? That combined with the strange hair, one brown, one white, and one black, they…

Wait a second. Brown, white, and black. Who else here had been a group of three, with brown, white, and black hair? Those three…

The Three Lights were supposed to be a boy band, but I've ran into cross dressers before.

As I'm scrutinizing the three, they leap up, and disappear into the light.

It doesn't matter where they go now. I know something's going on here. And I'm going to get to the bottom of it. One way or another.

"Ahem," a voice startles me. I jump slightly and take a look around me. I then sweat drop and gulp nervously. The five from earlier, plus the two from in the pit, have decided that since I'm the only one still here, I deserve some attention. They surround me in a semi-circle, cornering me against the wall. That many scantily dressed girls looking at me like that is scary.

"Listen you," the tall blonde with short hair asked, the one who looked like the chick on the piano. "Who are you and what are you doing here? Answer quick or we'll attack."

Do I sense some hostility?

"W-well," I begin, shrinking nervously under their stares. "I-I'll be glad to answer your questions. I'm Ranma Saoto…Oh my god! What's that!" I end in a shriek.

The seven gathered sailor soldiers turn as fast as they can, dread rising in their faces. The dread falters, replaced by confusion as they realize that there's nothing behind them.

"What are…?" the one with the two suspiciously familiar braids down her back turns around to find the spot where I had been occupying a moment earlier empty. Further study would reveal that the blond with short hair is now face down on the ground, with both of her hands spread out in warding gestures after I had jumped on her head. And just a bit more study would let her catch my back as I sprint as fast as I can towards the stage.

Saotome ultimate technique: run away.

The seven shout at me as I sprint towards the backstage area, but I ignore them. Defying all conventional physics, I cut a sharp right turn and as I pass by the back, I snag a bottle of water that the Three Lights had been using to keep their throats from drying up as they sang. As soon as I'm out of sight of the seven, I empty it onto my head, replacing the fleeing black haired man with a fleeing red haired woman. I dart through a door into a corridor that connects that backstage with the changing rooms. I try the doors as I pass, and when I find one unlocked, I dart into it quickly, shutting the door behind me silently.

I lean against the door and listen as the sound of footsteps in pursuit come closer, come even, and then draw away. Good I lost them. I turn around and to take stock of my surroundings and come face to face with…

My god. It's beautiful…

The room I had ducked into apparently belonged to one Seiya Light. A singer from the Three Lights. I know this because there's a big banner strung up over a mirror proclaiming "Congratulations Seiya". A table stood in front of the mirror, carrying a variety of essential stage make up. Next to the makeup table is…

A large card table laden down with a huge meal. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy, and a bottle of some kind of fancy-smancy grape juice. My stomach reminds me that I'm still currently homeless, and I have eaten in about three hours. I'm about to show my stomach a good time, when a scraping sound outside of the door of the room I'm hiding behind announces someone was about to enter. I hastily wipe the drool off my chin as the door opens.

And in walks Seiya Light.

He jerks up when he sees me in his room, and I chuckle nervously. Great. I'm stuck in the changing room of a potential enemy with no way to escape. I hope I can get out of this alive…

Seiya suddenly grins. "I know I'm popular, but do you really think its such a good idea to wait for me in my changing room like this?"

Scratch that earlier statement. I hope I can get out of this with him still alive.

Seiya walks by me, laughing lightly, and continues. "Is there anyplace in particular you would like me to sign?"

The sudden popping noise from my clenched fist snaps me out of my impending berserk fury, and I stop myself grinding my teeth into dust. Why that little… I'm going to kill him. I'm going to rip his heart out. I'm going to…

An evil grin crosses my face. My expression turns from a murderous glare at his back, to a smile so sweet even flies would be sickened by it. "Oh Seiya-poo," I trill out cheerfully. He stiffens from his position next to the makeup table, and turns to look at me slowly, a worried expression on his face.

Making full use of my 'feminine charm' I slink across the space between the two of us, my pack across my shoulder and my eyes fluttering. "I just couldn't stand the thought of staying away from you any longer," I begin, in an oh-so-shy tone. "I just had to come here as quick as I could, so I could tell you my true feelings." As the distance between us closed, Seiya begins to back up nervously, until his retreat is stopped by the card table.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" he gets out nervously, as sweat begins to pop out on his forehead.

"Well," I say in a demure and quiet tone, "what I really want to tell you is…" The space between us is almost nonexistent, and he begins to lean backwards as I lean forward.

"What you mean to tell me?" he asks in a whisper, his eyes wide.

"Oh, I can't. I'm too embarrassed." I brake off my close proximity to him suddenly, tilting my head to the side and pretending to blush. Clutching my full backpack to my chest. I turn. "I shouldn't be here," I cry out as I flee the room, faking tears. The look on Seiya's face at my 180 in personality is rich.

I wonder what his expression will be when he realizes that I stole all of his food and put it in my back pack?

Sucker.

---

I take a bit out of a drumstick and take a moment to stretch out. Stretched before me is a small table cloth bearing the fruits of my labor. The only thing from the table missing is the gravy. Which is too bad considering the turkey is really dry.

"Cheap scamp," I mutter. The green beans are just right on the other hand. I take a small helping of that and think a bit.

What have I learned today? Well, I learned that there is definitely something fishy going down around here. The Three Lights are definitely something strange. What catches me by surprise, though, is that the woman from the airport is up to something strange too.

I sigh quietly. Well, I can't keep an eye on the girl. I don't know where to find her. I can, on the other hand, track down the Three Lights pretty easily.

I take another bit of turkey. First I eat, then I sleep.

Tomorrow I work…


	4. Chapter 4

Finding home

Chapter 3

Disclaimer. Welcome to the disclaimer, that's right the disclaimer. This wonderful bit of American apple pie institution that will cleanse any sense of originality from a fanfic that might otherwise make you enjoy yourself. So, protect your family. This fanfic displays explicit depictions of other peoples characters.

(If any of you recognize where I got this from, cool. Old school Offspring rocks.)

Author's new notes: This is a fairly basic chapter here. It's more about setting up the next chapter than anything else. To all my reviewers, thank you. In a past review, someone mentioned translating my work, and how they hoped it hadn't offended me. It doesn't. As long as no one else tries to make money off of this, than by all means, share it with your friends or translate it.

Juuban High School.

That's where the Three Lights were. Juuban High School. I sip the soda in my hand again, and readjust my slouch from where I lay partially hidden in shadows across the road from the high school. It's about four in the afternoon. School had been out for almost an hour now, but since a lot of students here were apparently in clubs and stuff there was still a large crowd of people in the school. Too many suspicious eyes for a ragged guy with a pack over his shoulder to just walk in. Since I didn't really feel like cloaking myself in the iron cloth technique and dodging people, I was just going to wait until the school was mostly empty and taking a look.

It hadn't taken me that long to find out where they were. When news of this got out to the fan club I had been staking, the screams nearly destroyed my eardrums. Apparently none of the girls that went to that club had school there, and they decided that the most mature way in which to express their disappointment at their misfortune was glass shattering tantrums. I had left quickly after that.

Which is the reason I'm now where I am. I had discovered the location of the Three Lights too late in the day to rush over to Juuban High to find them, especially considering that I didn't even know where Juuban High was yesterday, so I had instead treated myself to a refreshing evening at a bath house. I've never had much luck at bathhouses before, mainly due to my curse, so I tend to avoid them whenever possible. But if I was going to be spending a lot of time around other people now, it would probably be best to not look like a bum off the street. To that end I had scrubbed hard to remove layer after layer of sweat and dirt while my clothes tumbled over themselves in a coin operated washing machine. Then, while the clothes were drying, I relaxed in a hot bath, letting the steam get me ready for whatever comes next.

I had spent the night sleeping comfortably and quietly on the roof of the bathhouse, undetected by all who walked around and under me.

After waking at noon I had stretched and given myself a quick run through my forms, before beginning my stakeout. I used what money I had left from 'convincing' muggers to leave me alone to supply myself some snacks, and sat back to wait.

Now, so many hours later, it looked like I was going to have time to go in and look around. I better do this quietly. I don't want to have questions asked at me….

"No! Absolutely not!" a voice bellowed from across the street, from the school I've been watching for the last four hours. My attention turns from the school in general, to two people exiting the school. The shouter, an amazingly well built man in some kind of red and white athletic outfit with puffy plastic pants and shirts, was currently striding away from another man, who is dressed meticulously in a suit with his hair carefully combed over the side of his head.

"Please," the well dressed guy virtually begged the athletic guy. "I know that you don't like them, but they are students, and famous. We can't just…"

He was cut off by the big guy. "No. I will not put up with those snotty three whelps. They might be famous but they can't be allowed to get away with this."

"Now I know how you feel…" the well dressed man tried again, to be cut off again by the big guy. By now the two had crossed most of the courtyard between the entrance of the school and the gate. A couple of students and teachers were stopping from whatever it is they had been doing and watching the confrontation. I took another sip of my soda and watched as well. Dinner with a show.

"No. You listen to me," the big man turned back to the well dressed guy. "You wanted the best martial artist you could get to be your gym teacher, and you got me." Now my attention is pricked. This guy was a martial artist? He continued. "Now if you want me to stay, Mr. Principal, then you can listen here. I won't let those three superstars, or whatever they are, get away with special treatment. They'll participate in gym just like everyone else, or I'm out of here."

The other guy, the principal I guess, drew himself up. "Now listen here, coach," he said sternly. "I'm halfway tempted to let you go where you stand. I am the principle, and you will respect me."

The coach just laughed rudely. "Yea, right. Like you'd just let me go. It's not like someone better then me is just going to walk in off the street."

The principal glared. "If someone did, I would hire them on the spot. At least they might show some respect."

You know, sometimes I wonder about all the coincidences my life seems to have. Its almost suspicious how things like this just turn up. Oh well. Suspicious or not, who am I to say no?

"Ahem," I clear my throat from across the street, leaving my partial concealment behind a tree. The two antagonists jerk, apparently surprised by the interruption, and turn to glare at me as I take another sip of my soda and cross the distance between me and the gate. "Sorry to interrupt, but I kinda heard you two arguing. And, well, I decided to take you up on the offer." The two lose their angry looks, and look at me confused.

"What offer?" the principal asked, sounding puzzled.

"The one about if someone walked in off the street you'd hire them," I answer back. I take another sip of my cola as the coach starts to fume.

"He said if someone better then me showed up, punk," he snarled. "Get lost."

I ignore him completely, and continue talking to the principal. "I don't need much pay, and I'm fairly good with kids. I've worked as an instructor when I was younger, so I have some experience."

The principal looks at me for a second more, and then straightens himself up a bit. "I see. Do you have any references? I'll need to look into your background a bit before I can say yes or no…" The couch had been steadily fuming as me and the principle ignored him, and by now his face is an unhealthy shade of purple. Kind of reminds me a bit of Ryoga actually. Back before he and Kasumi announced their secret affair and settled down together. Kasumi had a real calming effect on the old pig, and the two are quite happy now. Ryoga's lost his edge so much that he can't even throw a Shi Shi Houkuden anymore. Oh well, no more playing with old pig boy.

Besides, whenever I try to start a fight with him again, for old times sake, Kasumi gives me one of those looks that could wilt flowers.

Anyway, as me and the principal continue our chat for a bit, the couch finally blows a gasket. "Listen here, kid," he bellows, and I raise an eye. Kid? "I'll have you know I'm a fifth degree in Kempo! I can bench press three hundred and fifty pounds! You think you're better then me?! Huh?" The crowd of students and teachers begins to back off nervously, and the principle prudently leaves his position by the side of the coach. I look the coach up and down slowly as the principal begins to try to calm the coach down, from a safe distance.

"Now, now," he begins nervously. "Just take a deep breath and…"

This time I interrupt. "Yup. I'm better then you," I tell the enraged coach.

Apparently this is the straw that breaks the camel's back, or whatever, because the coach roars and attacks. It seemed like a kind of extreme reaction, but maybe the guy's been having a bad day. Who knows?

I sidestep the coach's charge, and begin listing my references in between dodges and sips on my soda. "Well, there was the time I spent in the Kakua Dojo in Osaka, I think there number was…" I listed a couple of dojo's that I had been to. Usually places I would challenge, and then trade the sign for food. Sometimes they would ask me to stay and give some lessons, so I'd give 'em a hand. Nothing wrong with that.

The fight between the coach and myself is almost a joke. The guy definitely had a lot of potential. He was fast, and he had a lot of variety in his skills, but he was so angry that he didn't really stop to think about his attacks very much. I would have had a much harder time if he had been calm and careful. As it was, I kept my dodges on the ground so that I wouldn't spill my soda while I was flipping.

While I was ducking under a hideously overextended right cross, I tried to take another sip of my soda, and discovered it was empty. Oh well, nothing lasts forever. After I had unbent myself from my evasion, I crumpled the can, and tossed it over the purple berserker into a garbage can behind him.

Now, with both my hands free, I return fire. The coach had been breathing so hard from the exertion of his anger and his attack that his face was almost swelling with the blood in his face. If he kept this up he was going to give himself a heart attack. I use one hand to catch his incoming fist and redirect it wide on the outside before I reached in with my other hand and hit him with the blade of my hand at the base of his throat, under his ear. The sudden pinch on the nerves and blood vessels that ran to his brain caused a momentary slowing of the oxygen to his head. The end result was a sudden wooziness and loss of coordination, which I exploited in a beautiful uppercut.

The coach almost seems to hang in the air for an eternal moment, before he crashes to the ground. There. I dust my hand off and turn to the principle.

"When do I start?" I ask. This is great. Now, not only due I get to stake the place out from the inside, I get a little paycheck too.

Wait a second. I stop when I realize that I'm being surrounded by a small horde awestruck students and teachers. A sudden breeze echoes through the now utterly silent schoolyard. A sheet of newspaper, crumbled up into urban tumbleweed, rolls slowly through the courtyard between me and the semi-circle of gaping observers.

"What?" I ask. "Did I spill some soda on myself?"

---

Beep. Beep. Beep. Be-SLAM.

Alright. Note to self: get new alarm clock. I pull my feet off of the desk in front of me while I yawn and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Around me is the office of the athletics department for Juuban high. On the front of my desk is a little plaque bearing the words "Ranma Saotome: Head Coach".

I'm moving up in the world.

After yesterday's little display on the finer points of martial artistry, the principle had apparently decided to take my offer seriously. While I had sweated under the strange looks his secretaries were giving me (Maybe they had forgotten their lunches? They looked really hungry for some reason) the principle had double checked some of the references I had given him, and apparently they passed inspection.

A quick tour and a friendly introduction to some of the other teachers later, I was shown my office and set to work. After a quick review of the lesson planner of the previous coach I had come to the conclusion that the guy had known what he was doing. His work schedule for the students had been simple and effective. Light enough not to strain them, but intense enough to provide those who tried a chance to improve themselves.

After deciding to keep the previous plan, I had gone over the school one more time with a little more intensity. After that, I had made use of the now deserted gym to keep myself in shape. Finally, at around midnight, I had gotten some sleep.

Which brings me to my current position. Rubbing my eyes as I blearily check the wall clock and sitting up from my slouch in the comfortable swivel-chair. According to the clock on the wall, I had set my now shattered alarm clock just right, because its five minutes to my first class. Yawning and cracking my neck, I grab my attendance sheet and head off to the gym where my first class will be assembling. I groan slightly as my eyes run down the list of names. Apparently my first class was an all girls class.

Great.

I make it to the gym right as the first bell rings. A few girls have already made it, but the majority are apparently still in the locker room changing, so I begin flipping through the folder with the names and the class plans. Looks like some like aerobics, followed by some jogging and baseball. Sounds simple enough.

I look up again after a few minutes more to check the progress of my class, and am satisfied to see the majority of them here and whispering among them selves.

"Alright everybody," I begin, calling their attention to me. "Due to the last head coach quitting, it looks like I'm going to be taking over your classes for a little bit. My name is Ranma Saotome, and I'm mostly a martial artist. Since the last coach had already started you guys off pretty good, I'm just going to stick by to his plan. Any questions?"

A hand shoots up. When I turn to face the questioner I am confronted by a brightly smiling blond with a big bow in her hair. "Excuse me, Mr. Saotome," she sings out, and I almost flinch. "If we need help, can we stay after for private lessons?"

I'm very proud of the fact that I keep my eye from twitching. "We'll see about that later," I tell her. "Ms... ?" I trail off.

"Aino. Minako Aino."

"Thank you, Minako," I tell her. "Any more questions?" Another hand raises, and I turn to it.

Great. Another blonde. I had no idea there were this many of them in Japan. "I was wondering if you could tell us why the last coach quit, Mr. Saotome." The speaker almost growls out her question. She was taller and had shorter hair than the last. In fact...

My eyes narrow slightly. She looks just like the one from the concert hall.

But accidentally running into one of those sailor soldiers here? What are the chances of that happening? I must be imagining things.

"He had an argument with the principle," I tell the suspicious blond. "And you are?"

"Haruka Ten'ou." Definitely not friendly.

"Alright then. Is that all?" No more questions answer me. "Alright then. Why don't you all line up so I can take attendance, and then we can get to work."

---

"Excuse me, sir?" a voice interrupted me from behind. I turned from where I had been watching the girls playing baseball. Behind me was the blonde from earlier. Haruka. When she sees that I'm looking at her, she continues. "I was wondering if you might be able to answer some questions." She really didn't look like she was going to take no for an answer. She had the kind of look that screams 'don't make me mad'.

Those kind of looks always bring out the worst in me.

I give her what is quite possibly the most annoying smirk I've ever produced. "Sure. It's called baseball. The object of the game is to hit the ball with the stick and then run around the bases." Haruka's eye twitches so I continue. "While you're running the other team..."

"I know how to play baseball," she interrupts.

"Well then," I pat her on the back and smirk again at her. "Good for you. Get back in there and make your team proud." I turn my attention back to the game. Behind me I can just barely make out the noise of what could quite possibly be steam escaping from her ears. Reminds me of the good old days with Ryoga. Strange that so many people in this school remind me of the old pig.

"I hear you think you're a martial artists," Haruka snaps behind me. Now I stiffen as she continues. "You don't look like much of one."

"I'm a better martial artist that you ever could believe," I tell her in a very calm voice. "I'm the best there is."

"How about a spar then?" she snaps. When I turn around to look at her, my face is expressionless.

"Is that what you want?" I ask quietly.

"When I win, you can answer my questions," she snaps.

Now I'll be the first to admit then when I was young I was somewhat naive. I like to think that I've matured a bit over the years. I also like to think that I've become a bit more observant. For instance, when I was a kid, it took a fist to my face to convince me that you were mad at me. Now I can tell just from looking that this Haruka girl is very angry with me. I can't possibly think of why that is. No, that's not true. I can think of one good reason...

"Is this about me jumping on your head?" I ask her very quietly. She stiffens suddenly and her eyes flair. Looks like I was right. She is the blond/pianist/sailor whatever from the concert. "Alright," I tell her without waiting for a response. I turn and give the class a quick look as I shout instructions at them. "Class, I've got to have a quick talk with Haruka here. Keep up the good work, and I'll be back in a minute." I turn back to the now very quiet blond in front of me. "Shall we?" I ask, and without waiting for a response I start to walk towards the gymnasium again.

The gym is empty. All the other classes are using the track or the pool, enjoying the outdoors while it's still warm enough to do so. As I enter I remove my traveling boots. I had long ago gotten rid of the worn and beaten slippers of my youth. They might be wonderful for fighting in, but when you're crossing the sharp and hot volcanic rocks of an active volcano (Don't ask, you don't want to know) or doing something like that it helps to have proper support for your arches. Barefoot I pad into the center of the gym, assuming a position in the very center.

"Whenever your ready, girl," I tell her. She attacks.

Her style is... Well, I don't really know how to precisely describe her style. It is hard like the earth, but light like the sky. She moves swiftly and surely. From the display she shows at the auditorium, she must have a lot of battle experience.

I fight at just above her skill level, to be respectful. She is a warrior, and it would be shameful to move all out, or too weak, against her. I was a little surprised at her strength and speed. They were lower then I expected, but I guess she must have some kind of power up routine. Throughout the match, I steadfastly refuse to hit her. She is a girl, after all.

The fight had gone on for over twenty minutes before she finally collapsed on the ground, exhausted from her effort.

"Now," I ask her, as I kneel down by where she lay panting and sweating. "Answer my questions. Who are you? What are you? What's going on around here?"

She gave no answer and just glares at me. I really wish that just once people wouldn't automatically assume that I'm evil incarnate. I can't help but feel that I might have earned the right of the doubt.

"Oh, well. I'll find out eventually. Ranma Saotome never loses. You're dismissed. Go shower and get changed. If you need a note to get to your next class, just ask me."

I almost instinctively dodge the daggers she glares at me as I leave the room, my hands behind my head, whistling slightly.

----

Man oh man. What a day. I take a second away from my concentration on my forms, and wipe my arm across my forehead.

The rest of the day had gone by pretty quick. It seems like that Aino girl wasn't the only one who had wanted 'extra help'. I wonder if this is the principle's idea of a joke, giving me all of the all girl classes to manage? I haven't had that many funny looks since I was in Furinkan.

And I don't care how I look. I wish that Kino girl would stop saying I look just like her old upperclassman. I'm a teacher now, not some long lost old friend. What a day.

The worst part about having all those girl classes was that I didn't get to keep as close an eye on those Three Lights as I would have liked. I am a lot closer now so I can act if I need to, and in my off hours I can usually manage to innocently stay near them.

The air around me whistles as I punch and kick at enemies that aren't really there for another minute or two before I finally give up and collapse on the ground to breath hard.

They had another performance tomorrow. The Three Lights. Should I go? I really don't want to have to sit through another set of annoying music, but the way the last one turned out...

I think I better go.

I close my eyes for a second, and control my breathing. After a second of concentration, I slow my heart down from its slightly rapid pace as well. Well now. Back to...

Flutter. Flutter. Flutter.

Something lands on my nose.

I slowly, slowly open my eyes, to come face to face with a hideous demon.

"AAUHHH!" I screech, leaping to my feet with what my mother would call a distinctly unmanly scream.

The jump scares away the demon on my nose, and it leaps fluttering into the air. I take a deep breath and try to keep my heart from exploding and take a second look at it.

A moth.

Alright, its not a demon, but lets see how you act after waking up with a moth on your nose.

The scary bug fluttered away from me, and, though I tried to track it with my eyes, the little creature soon disappeared into the darkness of the hollow and empty gym.

I turn back to my practice.

Authors note:

I've received complaints about how fast I killed off Iron Mouse. In the manga, which is what I'm basing this fiction off of, that was when she died. If it seems like the other animates die off to quickly, its probably because you're still thinking of the anime, where they stretch it out so they can make more money off of it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Disclaimer. All the characters mentioned or displayed in this work of literature are the explicit and copyrighted property of another. This

piece is not being displayed for profit or advertisement. It is entirely the work of an enthusiastic and amateurish fan.

---

Your strong scent, I'm always

Searching for it

Can you hear my voice calling out?

I love you so ...

Where are you now,

My lovely princess?

Answer me...

The crowd goes wild as the Three Lights hold the last not of their song. I remain quiet and hidden, tucked away safely within the interlocked steel beams that comprise the ceiling of the auditorium beneath me. I've been here for the last hour, diligently watching the crowd and the band, ready and eager to act if I need to.

I have also decided, that if a monster does attack, I'll let it rampage enough so that the rest of the show gets canceled. They call that singing? Sounds like escapee's from the root canal wing on the hospital, or something. I'm tempted to throw something at them to get them to stop and claim self defense in court.

Fortunately (Or maybe unfortunately) nearly the entire concert has gone bye without anything to interrupt it. No sailor scouts of any type have shown up, unless the three on stage count, which I'm still not sure about. As the Three Lights take their bows before the roaring fans, I shrink back into a corner of the ceiling to avoid being in front of a light by accident when they come back on. That would be an embarrassing way to go.

A minute or two later the lights are on, despite the crowd's roars for an encore. Thank the gods for small mercies.

I idly scratch my chin for a moment and indulge myself in a yawn when something strikes me. I should be paying more attention to the audience. That was where I had hidden, the scouts had hidden, and that strange chick Iron Mouse had hidden at the last show. There's a good chance someone else is hidden here this time.

What a brilliant idea. I'll just...

I forgot. How am I suppose to see anyone in this mess of people? The crowd below me is a jumbled menagerie of insanity. There are literally hundreds of people here, and all of them are moving/shouting/pushing around.

So much for just watching the crowd. Oh well, might as well just give it a shot at the very least. Maybe something will come up. The exit will probably be the best spots to watch. Sooner or later everyone goes to the exits. I casually swing around to position myself where I can see all of the exits. There are three of them, one at each corner farthest away from the stage, and another directly opposite the stage between the other two. I start at the one on the left.

Lets see. Fat one in a Three Lights t-shirt, skinny one in a Three Lights t-shirt, middle sized one in a Three Lights t-shirt, tall one in a Three Lights t- shirt. I sense a trend developing. Lets scope out the one on the right now. Short one in a Three Lights t-shirt, medium sized one in a Three Lights t-shirt, brunette in a Three Lights t-shirt, evil looking foreigner in lingerie with a funky trench coat type thing, red head in a Three Lights t-shirt, black haired girl in a Three Lights...

Wait a second. I strain my neck quickly as I try to penetrate the mass of people to find the one I'm looking for. There she is, right at the door: foreigner with some kind of skimpy leather ensemble laced up the front tightly under a strange long sleeveless overcoat. She's gone in a second, my sight cut off by the wall above the exit. My eyes narrow. It's not totally outrageous, but the last chick, Iron Mouse, and been wearing a strange lingerie type outfit too. I better keep my eyes open for that one.

I turn my eyes slowly towards the center doorway. And fall out of the rafters in shock. My feet just barely moved quick enough to latch on and keep me from belly flopping onto the concrete fifty feet below.

A blond with two strange ponytail type haircut leaving the just as I was looking.

The same blond that had been at the airport.

The same blond that had been at the last concert.

I'm becoming despairingly sure that I'm going to need to look into her in a bit.

---

Tap. Tap. Tap. My feet against the concrete as I walk.

The night around me is dark. It's nearly September, but the summer had been hot, and the night stays warm enough to be enjoyable. Its not often you get to enjoy a night like this. I certainly wasn't. There were too many things going on around here. Too many strange people.

That blond with the ponytails. Who is she? Why is she wrapped up in all of this? She seems like just an ordinary girl. In fact, so far all of the sailor soldiers, good or bad, have felt perfectly normal. Not at all like all of the other strong opponents I had fought against. Like Saffron: when I had fought the phoenix king his aura had radiated from him like the sun. But despite the fact that these girls were pumping out blasts of astonishing power, they didn't feel any different then any other girl off the street. I was getting a head ache from this.

"Hey, you," a big man with a knife demands hisses at me from the shadows of an alley. "Give me your wallet or I'll..."

SLAM

I remove my fist from the new indentation in the hapless fools face and go through his pockets with practiced ease.

Well, lets see. Two hundred dollars? Neat. Now I can get some food. What an idiot. I wasn't even in my girl form. Well, at least he had the guts to try it with a guy instead of some helpless looking girl.

I tuck the money away in my front pocket and keep on walking.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The other girl. That Iron Mouse. Who was she? Why did she attack at that concert? Right before she had started it all, she had said something. Something about eleven sailor crystals. What are sailor crystals? And who did she say she was going to give them too? Something about someone being pleased. The name had begun with a 'g', I remember that much. But what had it been? Galatea? Galinti? Man, who knows.

The Three Lights. Who are they? Why are they mixed up in this? Thy had they grabbed the blond at the airport? Why were they attacked at the concert? What's there connection to the three chicks that had dealt with Iron Mouse? Had that been them?

I sigh and stoop my head as I keep on walking through the pleasant night.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

There was one more person involved in all of this, though I had only seen her that one time at the airport. The honey blond in the centurion school girl outfit. Why had she attacked that man? What was that golden thing she had grabbed at the end?

Why do I feel like I know her from somewhere?

That last part stops me in my tracks. I feel like I know her from somewhere? Hesitantly I nod to myself. Yes. Yes I do feel like I know her from somewhere before? But where?

Sighing I tilt my head back and look at the stars. Across the sky they dance, in their eternal waltz through space. The dippers, Polaris, Andromeda, Sagittarius, Gemini, Draco...

Wait a second? How do I know all these names? I don't have any specific memory of having them pointed out to me, but I'm suddenly confident that if I had enough time I could name every last speck in the sky.

Oh well, it must have been something that my dad showed me when I was young.

I almost growl at the thought of my father. Bloody stupid panda. He better hope I never catch up with him.

Suddenly I'm aware of how early in the night it really is, and I don't want to go back to where I sleep. It was only ten, and I had two hundred dollars in my pocket. I feel like I should stay out a bit tonight. But where to go...

On the block ahead of me, I hear a sudden roar of laughter. Shaken from my reverie, I look up and am confronted by a small group of three people, laughing and shouting into the night stumbling, with their arms around each others shoulders, down the street a block from where I am.

A club. The perfect place to go to kill time. I've been in a few bars over the years, and despite the fact that they bring back memories of Genma, I still find them to be okay places to kill an hour. There's something about the people, the atmosphere. Its just relaxing to be in.

Once upon a time entering one of these places would have been a hassle. Due to perfect shape that I keep myself in I look a lot younger than I am. However, despite the fact that I look younger than I am, I still look old enough to get into these places now, and the bouncer only gives me a once over before nodding me in. The bar itself is smoky, I think more from the fog machines around the dance floor than people killing their lungs. The sound system in the corner lies silent, no one around or behind it. They probably only broke it out on weekends in order to keep the cost down. That's just fine with me. All I want to do is sit down, relax and have a ...

"RANMA!" a voice shouts behind me. The shout is quickly followed by an Amazonian glomp. I freeze. No. It couldn't be...

"I've missed you Ranma. How've you been?" Mousse whispers in my ear seductively. Its alright. I won't do anything violent. I'll respond to this in a mature and reasonable fashion.

"GET HIM OFF OF ME!!!!!" I screech and start running around the dance floor, desperately trying to shake him off. This is so not cool. I mean, I can understand him getting depressed after Shampoo ran away with Konatsu. I can even understand him foreswearing women forever, and declaring himself a homosexual. Hell, I've seen the way men in his tribe get treated by women. But why did he have to start chasing me?

"Oh how I've missed you, Ranma!" he chirrups cheerfully as he clings onto me using the secret Amazon glomp technique (tm). "Let's run away together, my pigtailed love."

Oh. That is so it. I alter my flight to take me close to the bar where a bartender stands gawking, unsure whether or not to get involved. Once there I latch onto a mug filled with cold beer, and dump it on myself.

"EEK!" Mousse screams and releases me. Thank the gods that when he foreswore women, he meant all women. I wouldn't be able to take it if he chased me in both forms. "Do you have to do that?" he whines as he backs off.

"YES!" I bellow, panting desperately. It's been so long since that kind of thing has happened, that I've forgotten just how utterly disgusting it is. Next to where me and Mousse have stopped, the bartender looks at his beer carefully, rubs his eye, and then decides that a guy changing into a girl when doused by beer is an SEP (somebody else's problem), and ignores it completely.

After I've gotten myself under something that resembles self control, I told the barkeep my order, and left the bar with two pitchers and a mug. Mousse follows behind with half a pint of some excessively harsh whiskey. I let him come along, though I have to be careful. I wouldn't put it by him to use a flaming shot to change me back into a guy so he can glomp me.

"I'm sorry about that by the way," Mousse tells me after we've found seats. The entrance to the club is just a few feet. It's an old habit, sitting near the door. I've been attacked so often by now, that keeping an exit nearby has become almost a second nature to me.

"Sorry about what?" I ask as I begin my battle against the brew before me.

"My hello. I hope you don't tell anyone about it." He looks a little nervous, and glances around a bit before leaning in so he can whisper. "I have a steady boy friend now. I really like him a lot, but just seeing you again..." He trails off for a second. "It was just like old times."

"Yea. Really brings back the memories, doesn't it?" I smile slightly, and Mousse leans back with a grin on his own face.

"Yea," he chuckled. "Remember how your girlfriends would always act after I did something like that?" He wouldn't be laughing if that kind of thing had happened to him. I think I still have some bruises from that one time...

"So you have a steady now?" I ask. The years had finally managed to give me a small amount of social skills by now, and I got the basics for polite conversation down. Ask a question, wait for an answer, answer any question on theirs, repeat.

"Yea," Mousse smiles distantly. The years have been kind to him, and he finally got glasses strong enough to give him regular vision, though I never imagined that they made glasses that powerful. They were nearly an inch thick, and were almost wired to his head. He still wore those same old white robe things. If you listened carefully, you could just barely make out a chink when he walked. He must still have some of those hidden weapons he's so fond of. I honestly can't imagine how hard it must be to move around with all the weight Mousse used to carry around on him. It boggles the mind. "He's a great guy. An accountant." Mousse hesitates for a second before continuing tentatively. "And how about you?"

I shrug a bit before swigging away at more of my beer. "Nothing yet. It's hard to get attached really. I don't stay in any one place for very long, really."

Mousse hesitates for another second before swallowing and asking one more question. "And your dad...?"

He doesn't finish the question as the glass in my hand shatters. A few splinters of the cup work themselves into my hand, but the calluses there are so thick that no blood is even drawn. "Lets change the subject," I tell Mousse, before grabbing the pitcher in front of me and drinking straight from it.

"Yea," he agrees. "Sorry I brought it up."

----

"So then I says, I says to her. I says, 'girl, I ought'ado tha thin' to ya fa tha,'" Mousse tells me drunkenly. He waves his mostly empty glass of whiskey as he goes on about some meaningless confrontation with the fairer sex. I ignore him for the most part, nodding or grunting when it looks like he expects some kind of response from me. I for the most part am happily on my second pitcher of beer, and feeling mellow and quiet.

I think that's part of the reason I like drinking so much. My entire life it has always been react, react, react. I have to be on constant guard against attacks from all sides. I have to be quick. I think that's part of why I always got my self in trouble with my mouth. I've been trained to move fast, and in order to react quick to a verbal attack you got to say the first thing that pops into your head. But now, with enough alcohol in me to dull down even my enormously trained reflexes, I can slow down enough to bite back all my quick jibes and insults. Maybe if I had drank more back in Nerima...

No. There's no use thinking about the past.

Nearly an hour and a half have passed since I began my binge. The music equipment in the corner still remains silent, but the fog has drifted off. Apparently some people complained about it and the bartender had shut it down. The club has filled up a bit more and a steady buzz of back ground noise is present, like the droning of a hive of bees.

In front of me Mousse has started crying something about his mother. "I only wanna be happy. Is tha ta much ta ask? So wha if I'll never make gran'kids?" I shake my head as he begins to bump his head on the table, but stay quiet. I'm not really in any position to offer advice on that kind of thing.

For the most part of the night, my mind has been on one thing. The strangely dressed woman at the airport. I don't know why I've been thinking about her. I should be thinking about the sailor scouts that I know are going to my school. The one that had tried to pick a fight with me during class. But I can't. The honey-blond in the gold. Who was she? I know I've seen her before, but where?

I shake my head at myself. I should just relax, and enjoy the beer. That's what I should do. I lift the pitcher to my lips again. Behind me the bouncer moves a bit as another person enters the club. A short woman enters, lugging a guitar case behind her. The case seems strangely huge in comparison to the person carrying it. She turns to speak to the bouncer as I finish my drink, wipe my lips, and then

prepare for another.

"Excuse me," she says to him. "I'm looking for the talent agency, 'Where Stars are Born'. Could you tell me how to find 'Where Stars are Born?"

---

"Do you know the place where stars are born?" she says. "Strong stars, weak stars, their light, their power, all of it is born from there."

---

The pitcher of beer slips from my fingers. Behind me, the bouncer says something to the wondering guitarist, but the words are meaningless to me.

Gods and goddesses above. How could I have forgotten?

A meeting returns to me. A boy in the throws of a drunken despair at a bar. A woman in a wild goose chase for an unattainable place. A meeting.

"Galaxia," I whisper.

---

An immense palace, stretched out in front of me. It is huge and all encompassing, but it isn't real. It's just a front, a cover for what lies beyond it. A cliff above an abyss. An abyss filled with stars.

---

"Ranma?" a voice startles me out of myself. Mousse is in front of me, his eyes blurry and watery from his drink. "Ranma are you okay? You're scaring me Ranma." I can hear the worry in his voice.

"I...I have to go," I answer numbly. Galaxia. "I have to go right now." I shrug Mousse's hands off of me effortlessly. My hands dip into my pockets of their own accord, and take the money they find there. I toss it onto the table without looking at it. I can't even remember how much it is. Galaxia. Turning away from the hurt eyes of Mousse who cradles his hand which has somehow become broken against his chest. Galaxia.

I leave the bar, and wander into the night.

The sky above me is dark. I don' know when it happened, but the sky has become overcast above me. A roiling smear of clouds is the only thing that greets me when I look up. But that doesn't stop me from pointing up into the sky. I know without the shadow of a doubt that if you were to trace a line from my finger into the void of space, it would eventually impact with the center of the galaxy. The Zero Star of Sagittarius. Where I am suddenly sure that it is possible to find Galaxia.

Now I have even more questions.

---

"Alright class," I begin blearily. "You all know what to do. If there's any questions, I'll be over there soaking my head." The girls give me weird looks as I slump down after giving them their instructions.

Hangovers suck.

After last nights revelations I had come back to my office, breaking in quietly so as to not disturb the janitors, and had sat down to do some serious thinking. Or I intended to do some serious thinking, but instead ended up falling asleep in my chair. Now I'm back at work, and desperately trying to figure out what's going on around me.

Galaxia had attacked the young man at the airport. She had torn him into pieces smaller then the ones I had torn Saffron into, and taken some strange glowing yellow thing out of the remains. Then she disappears. Enter the Three Lights. The run on just as Galaxia is leaving, to take away the blond that had fainted. Later on, at their concert, a strange girl who was probably working for Galaxia attacks. The blond from the airport intervenes in a skimpy school girl outfit, along with her friends. The strange girl working for Galaxia attacks, and is defeated by three more girls in skimpy outfits, who may or may not be the Three Lights in drag. The Three Lights then transfer to a school. Within this school is at least one of the girls from the concert, a short haired blond with a short fuse.

I think the headache from my hangover is getting worse. This is all just so strange I could just scream.

And despite it all, I can't help but think about Galaxia. What was she doing? Did she send that Iron Mousse? Why did she attack that young man. She had seemed so nice when we first met. Had she changed? Or had she always been this way? Perhaps she's being controlled. I've had to deal with mind control before.

I rub my head a bit, and take a drag from the water bottle I had gotten. I wish I had some Flintstone vitamins. Hangovers are caused by two things. Loss of fluids and the deficiency of several common vitamins. I have water for the fluid, but I really need something for the vitamins. Oh well. At least things couldn't get much worse than they already are.

I'm about to stand up and get back to work at my job, when it hits me. I almost gasp as a wave of... something... rolls through me. It's not ki, or chi, or even magic. I've been hit by all of those before. This is something so different.

I have to investigate.

"Class," I call, and all of the girls turn to look at me. "I have to go make some phone calls. Keep up the good work."

"Yes, teacher," a dozen or so of them sing out, giving me weird looks. Maybe there's some kind of bug going around? Funny, they kind of remind me of the looks my old fiancés used to give me. Whatever.

I leave the field quietly, moving quickly but not running. I could still feel the power, whatever it is. It was kind of warm and sort of pulsing like a heart or something. It's really hard to describe. I circled the outside of the school, trying to pin point it down. As I turned a corner I could just barely make out a couple of voices. It sounded like they were coming from the roof. It sounded... like... screams...

I start to run. Damn it. What was I thinking? I should have been running from the start. With all the strange things going around, this is why I got the job, to be close when this kind of thing happens. I round another corner of Juuban High, and then I see it. The girl from the concert before, in the weird overcoat and the skimpy lace up whichimicallit. She was floating near the edge of the roof, and in front of her...

Two girls, dressed in the skimpy school uniform, suspended from the air by strands of hair from the floating girl. Even as I watched their bodies begin to disintegrate. I stood frozen in shock as they vanished until all that remained being two glowing crystals, and then those disappeared too.

No.

I am in the air before the conscious thought crosses my brain. I could clear four story building roofs when I was a teen, and now that I'm so much older, I am more than strong enough to make the height. I come at the floating woman, who was now laughing, with all the power of a tsunami. My spin back kick sends her ricocheting across the roof top like a deranged and oddly dressed pin ball. I finish my jump with a light landing on the railing of the school roof. I try to control my rage, and I manage to keep most of it locked up, but enough escapes into my aura to make it visible.

"Who dares strike me!?" the pinball screams as she tries to regain her feet. "I, Sailor Aluminum Siren will punish them in the name of Galaxia!"

My heart grows cold. Galaxia. That seems to be proof enough that Galaxia was involved in this. And seeing how this Aluminum Siren just knocked off two more girls, I'm going to have to assume that Galaxia is on the side of the bad guys.

I hop off of the iron railing and begin to move towards Aluminum Siren. "What are you doing here?" I ask. I'm dimly aware of their being more people on this rooftop, but even as more burst their way up through the door to the stairs, it doesn't matter. There is only me and Aluminum Siren.

"I am collecting sailor star seeds for the Lady Galaxia, and her Shadow Galactica!" she begins to declare shrilly, and I attack her mid sentence. This time she's ready for my assault though. She's no amateur

Despite her build and gender, her style reminds me of old school Ryoga. She is tough. Even though the blows I land on her cause her to flinch, they hurt my hands. She's fast too, but not as fast as me. She's not as skilled as me either, but that doesn't stop her from being good.

I was mid air with my legs extended to the sides in a perfect aerial split dodging a really nasty kick when a voice penetrates my battle fever. "We can't get a shot in! Get out of the way!"

I disengage from the combat with speed born from years of practicing the Anything Goes final technique. Aluminum Siren finds herself off balance from the lack of target, and two shouts ring out.

"Serious Star Laser!"

"Gentle Star Birth!"

The bracer around Aluminum Siren's wrist shatters, and then she is no more.

Despite the fact that she was a woman, and despite my dislike for killing, I can't really find it within myself to feel the least bit sorry for her.

---

The gym around me is silent except for the sounds of my breathing. I was practicing tonight. Not practicing my physical skills, but something infinitely harder.

My breath is even and gentle as I reach within myself and focus on my chi. The flows of the chi within the body are wild and chaotic. It rolls through and around your body like the tide, flowing and ebbing. With each measured breath, I try to stop that flow, to control it. Only after I have controlled it will I be a master of the art.

It's never been done before, as far as I know. It'll be cool to be the first.

The meeting between me and the scouts on the roof, after the defeat of Aluminum Siren, had not been pretty. I had been shocked to see the flirty blond, Aino I think her name was, there, but not terribly surprised to see the blond with the two strange ponytails. I think that maybe she's the center of all this.

That feels kind of weird, actually. For nearly all of my life I've had to put up with being the center of attention. I always hated it. But now that it looks like fate, or whatever, has decided to make someone else in the middle of all the chaos, I feel kind of empty. Maybe I'm being silly.

After the confrontation, we all went our different ways. The three in a different uniform then all the others, the leather ones, had jumped off the building and disappeared in a ball of light. I had nodded at the blond with the short hair, Haruka I think it was, and she had nodded guardedly back. My exit was less cool. I just used the stairs.

I sigh. Damn it. With all these things going on, I can't concentrate. It's useless to practice meditation when I'm all riled up like this. I think I'll just practice some chi and ki control.

The clock above me reads a very late time. I don't think I'm going to sleep much tonight.

To be continued.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

_Author's new notes: Long time no see. Life gets busy, and no matter how hard you try, sometimes you don't have time for the things you love. Anyway. I'm particularly fond of the way I tried to contrast Ranma and the other Sailor's skill. The image I was trying to achieve is that yes Ranma is a bad mother-shutyourmouth, but than again, having the power of a Sailor is nothing to scoff at either. For those of you who have never read, shudder in anticipation at the outcome of Ranma and Galaxia's meeting. For those of you who have, remember the feelings you had the first time, and glory in the nostalgia. I hope to get the next chapter out sooner._

Disclaimer: I didn't want to do it. They made me. Make them stop, please make them stop.

The sky is bright and cheerful. Sun pours through the school yard like a waterfall of gold. It's a great day out.

I sigh. With the way the last couple of days have gone, I don't really have high hopes for this one. If I can get through it without anyone dying, then I'll think of it as a good day. So far the morning has been a good morning. My classes have gone by quickly and quietly. I think the girls have picked up on my mood, because it was very quiet. Those weird looks the girl have been giving me were replaced by a type of look I'm more used to: worry.

Now it was lunch. In my right hand is a sub; my left, a sports drink. I feel that I need to relax after yesterday, to pull myself together a bit. If I had only been a little more focused yesterday I might have been in time...

If. I turn my thoughts away from that kind of thinking. It'll only get me down, turn me into old-school Ryoga.

I had decided that today I was going to enjoy my lunch in a private and peaceful fashion. Just me, my food, the sky, and the roof. Yup. I take a bite out of my sandwich and chew it slowly. Yup, just a quiet moment to..

"Well?" A loud voice intrudes on my serenity. I freeze. Two more girls have joined me on the roof, although they don't realize that I'm out here. I had been lying on the roof on the stairway, and that would make me just about un-seeable from their angle.

Should I move? Nah. I was here first, and I don't feel like moving. They're not doing anything wrong, so I can't kick 'em off. Oh well. Maybe they'll go away.

"But--! Why is nobody here!?" a new voice shouts. That sounds like that Aino girl.

"Well, lunch has just started," says the first voice, "so let's wait."

"Damnit," says Minako. "I'm hungry! What will I do without lunch? They better show up soon!"

"It would have been nice if I had picked Juuban High, too," says first-voice. "If I did that, I could live high school life together with all of you, but..."

"What?" Minako asks. "All of a sudden?"

"I was using the tarot cards this morning, and I drew this one..." There's a rustling noise, and I can hear Minako gasp. By now the two of them have my attention equally divided between them and my lunch. That takes a lot of skill on there part, considering the way I eat.

"I know," first-voice says. "This is not like our battles of before. There's no turning back..."

"Stop," says Minako. I hear her move again. "We promised that we would rescue those two. For us, it is always the same... Save our friends! Defeat the enemies! Protect those important to us! It's the same this time. They must be alive, and they will come home! Then we'll return to high school life! We'll get boyfriends! Those are the rules!" Defeat the enemy? Save our friends? Protect those important to us? My blood chills. Minako had been one of the blonds on the roof yesterday, when those other two girls were... The two now have my complete attention. Well, almost complete. I take another bite of my sandwich.

"That's right, boys!" continues Minako. "In junior high, too, we couldn't get along by ourselves! We didn't have time for that! So this time, we'll get hot sweethearts like the Three Lights! We'll work as hard as we can to get dates to go on, like ordinary high school girls! That's our ultimate dream! Nothing but that!"

"You're fooling yourself," a voice says. My eyes narrow. I recognize that voice.

"There is someone following their heart," says another one. "You have decided to live for that person." The Three Lights. Was this who the two girls had been waiting for? I finish my sandwich and take a sip of my sports drink (which is actually kind of difficult while you're lying down).

"You know...I guess that's it," says Minako. "You're right. There has always been just one person to whom we have devoted our lives..."

"Mina...!" says the other girl.

"That's right. We don't need boys. Is that wrong?" The two of them sound different then how they had sounded earlier. I'm suddenly very envious of whoever had those two as friends.

I wish I had had friends like that when I was their age.

"No," says one of the Lights, the same one as earlier.

"We are the true sailor soldiers!!" says the girl I don't recognize. "So, who are you!?"

"Well," Three Lights says, "what if we were impostors?"

"That would make you our enemies!!" says Minako. "We defeat our enemies!! Venus Crystal Power!"

"Mars Crystal Power!"

"Make Up!!"

A swirl of power starts to form a little way from me on the roof. I recognize it. It was like the one yesterday that I had felt before I had gone to investigate.

"We don't intend to pick fights indiscriminately!" the two girls say. "We just want to know who you really are. If you have sailor soldier names, transform right here and show us! Come on, now!"

The Three Lights rustle a bit, and then they shout:

"Healer Star Power!"

"Fighter Star Power!"

"Maker Star Power!"

"Make Up!!"

I can just make out a flash of light from my position, and a power almost identical to the power that the two girls had put out pushes against my senses.

"I can feel it..." the one that had called herself Mars says. "The power of stars. There's no mistaking it, those are crystals with star power! There's no mistaking it, it's the same sailor make up as our crystal powers!"

So. The Three Lights were the same as the good guys. I guess that makes them good guys too.

"We, and the enemy sailor soldiers," says one of them. "We are not just impostors, sailor soldiers in name only."

"But!" says Minako. "If you're real sailor soldiers...!"

"Sailor Mars," says the same Light. "The card after Death!"

There's a rush of noise, and a flare of that power again, the power of the sailor crystals I think they called it, and than I can tell the Three Lights are gone.

So. I'd been chasing the good guys. If I'm going to get to the bottom of things, I'm going to have to chase the bad guys for a bit now. Without letting the two girls still on the roof know that I was hiding the entire time, I leap from the roof of the school, to the ground below.

Twenty minutes later, during the first of my afternoon classes, I feel something. A chill rushes through me, and I feel the power of two sailor crystals flare, and then falter, and then vanish.

I think the day has just become a bad one. A very bad one for the two girls I had eavesdropped on the roof.

---

The sun against the back of my eyelids is what woke me up from my trance. My eyes dart open instantly, and then I relax a bit. I get up from my lotus position in the center of the gymnasium. I had been there most of the night, in the same position, but I'm neither sore nor stiff. I had spent the entire night in a meditative trance. Now I'm fully rested, and alert.

I grin and then launch myself into a series of kicks so fast that my image behind me blurs and stretches out. I've rarely ever felt this fast or powerful. Almost cheerfully I concentrate my energies, and form them into a powerful, yet condensed, ball of glowing blue chi in my hands. A twist of movement out of the corner of my eye, and I'm instantly in a combat position, the chi ready to be launched.

Flutter, flutter, flutter.

I relax in spite of myself. Well, well, well. My little friend, the other thing that lives in the gymnasium with me, the moth. Looks like its up and ready to go as well. I settle out of my ready position, and hold both of my hands directly in front of me, the glowing blue of the chi balanced and hovering there. The moth fluttered nearer to me, dancing through the air like a drunken dervish. I smile as it circles the orb once, and then flutters near my face. It flops through the air near my nose, and with a sudden 'plop' it lands on it.

I grin as I stare eye to eye with the insect. It's not nearly so ugly if you're not waking up to it.

"Ready to go, killer?" I ask it in a whisper.

The insect leaps from my nose, pulls a 180, and drives itself directly into the orb of chi in my hand. It is immolated instantly.

Suddenly, I don't feel like smiling anymore.

---

RINGGG.

Well, there it is. The last bell of the day. My class tries its level best to trample themselves as they crowd around the door of the gym. Everyone, no matter how good the student, loves the last bell of the day. I nod calmly to the to the last couple of girls, who had paused at the door to flutter their eyelids at me. Hmmm. They should change their contacts, or have a doctor look at them. Maybe they have pink eye.

When the last of the school girls have finally gone, that's when I get prepared. Back in my office I pull my locker open and pull out my pack. Opening one of my drawers, I put a letter on the top of my desk.

It's time to do some serious work. I've been forced on to a defensive position for the last couple of battles, mainly because I had no idea what was going on. Now that I've gotten a fairly good idea of the lay of the land, it's time I tried to take the offense.

To that end, I'm taking all of my things with me on my scouting trips. The letter I left on my desk is to let them know that I had quit for personal reasons, and sorry about that. If I don't find anything on my scouting, I'll get back here tomorrow and put it back in the drawer. See, I did all this junk so that if I'm forced to take a chance, like stow away on a ship or something, and I can't come back they'll know that I quit and I'll have all my stuff. I don't want to end up stranded in the middle of the Sierra without any supplies (Not again anyway).

Now all I have to do is find something. The Three Lights have a way of being where the action is. So did that Aino girl, but she's...Well, I can't follow her anymore. I leave my office quietly, and take quick steps so I can get out of the school without anyone knowing. As soon as I'm out I'll track down the lights and then...

I'll freeze, take a deep breath, and head to the roof where I can feel another set of powerful energies from sailor crystals forming.

Yet again with those odd coincidences that make up my life. It's about as strange as when Nabiki foreswore material wealth and joined a convent. Oh well, never waste an opportunity. I pull out my handkerchief, and with a swish and a whisper, I am once more wrapped in the Iron Cloth Shooting Star technique.

I take the stairs up to the roof quickly, but utterly quiet (no mean feet when you're wearing steel toed boots) and once there I crack open the door to the roof quietly to take stock of the situation. A confrontation of some sort. I can't see much through the crack in the door, only one girl, but I can hear at least three more up there. I focus on the one girl I can make out, and start to sweat.

The outfit the girl was wearing reminds me of something Kodachi would like to wear: black, tight, and leather. A tight leather mask is over her head, hiding her face from view. The mask is tipped with two vaguely earlike protrusions, and from the bumps hang two long braids of hair.

I shudder at the overall image. It makes me think of... one of those things. Those horrible, terrible, and evil creatures...

Cats.

Even as I shudder again, the girl is screaming something. "When I win this fight, I'll be able to take off this armlets, and have my old body back. Than the Lady Galaxia will give me a sailor crystal, and a planet of my own, and I'll be a scout!" The girl leaps into the air, and I allow the door to drift open more. I have to do this slow so that no one will notice a door opening without anyone there to help it. The battle is out of my sight now, but I can still make out a bit of the action with my ears.

"No, wait! You're all from the same planet!" a voice cries out, and then a scream. I start to open the door a bit faster. That had sounded like another kid. When the door is cracked enough for me to get through, I move quick. The black leather girl has been backed up a bit by another. A...

A blond with two strange ponytails. Her again.

"Stop," the blond pleads. "Open your eyes Nyanko!"

The black leather girl, Nyanko I guess, blurs her image sideways, and launches an attack past the blond. It whips by me, and I turn to follow its trajectory, and see it impact a strangely dressed couple, transforming them into...

...transforming them into evil four legged ferocious monsters from the deepest pit of hell. (Author's note: The previous statement has been uttered in Ranmanese. A rough translation of the above phrase would be 'cats'.)

I freeze up, taking bigger and bigger gulps of air as I desperately try to keep myself from screaming. In stead I start to edge away slowly. Real slow. Just take it slow.

Behind me a voice breaks in on the fight I'm now pretty much ignoring. I hear it just barely, kind of like I'm in glass bowl and the voices are coming from outside of the bowl. "Stupid, diving into it yourself.

One of the..the...the things move, and that does it. I turn to run, and slam face first into someone.

Once more, from outside of the glass bowl, a voice intrudes. "Star Serious Laser!"

I just barely have time to realize that I currently have my face pressed right in between the breasts of that Nyanko chick, when a sudden flash of her power courses through me, and we both disappear just as the laser is about to hit.

---

"WHAT THE HELL IS TOUCHING MY BREASTS?!?!" a voice screeches in my ear and, while temporarily deafening me, brings me back to my senses. Unfortunately, due to a combination of my recent escape from those demons back there and the shock of having me eardrums blasted, I lose control of my self defense technique. I regain visibility, with my face pressed right between the breasts of an enraged sailor scout with immense destructive powers.

"Um," I say, the words muffled by my position, "Sorry?" I jump back in time to avoid the explosion that Nyanko girl launches at me.

"DIE!!! Meow!" she screeched at me. I shudder a bit. It's not like I've never been yelled at before, its just that little bit she tagged onto the end, that meow bit, that shook me up. And so the fight began.

Now, while Aluminum Siren was tough and semi-fast and semi-skilled, this Nyanko chick is just plane fast. I've had to fight that blurring after-image technique before, but every other time it was caused by a trick of chi manipulation. When Nyanko did it, it was just because she was so fast. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I'm losing. I fought plenty of people faster than me, like that Kirin guy that led the Seven Lucky Gods of martial arts. My skill more than made up for the speed the girl had. However, she was moving so fast that I couldn't get a solid target on those bracers she was wearing.

While Nyanko screams battle cries and tried to decapitate me in the most gruesome way possible, I kept off her attacks and studied our surroundings. When I caught sight of them, I slipped, and Nyanko managed to land a couple dozen blows on me. That hurt, but I quickly reasserted my skill, and fended her off, even as what I saw before me sank in.

A field stretched out before me. Looking at it was weird. It looked like it stretched out forever, it just felt that way, but I could plainly make out where it met ends with a graveyard to my right. Dotting this field were little growths of strange things, crystalline in nature that sprouted out from the ground. There were hundreds of them, stretching out into that weird limited infinity, all in various stages of development. And in the center of that field, a palace stretched upwards, a palace topped by a huge crystal. It was a place I've never seen before, but a place I knew anyways.

Zero Star of Sagittarius.

Nyanko brakes off her physical attack on me, leaping back a dozen meters of so. "Meow! Eat this!" A ball of energy like the one she had been throwing on the roof formed in her hands, and she launched it at me. I flipped easily out of the way, before returning with one of my own.

"Fierce Tiger Domineering!" I cry, launching my blue ball of confidence at her. Her eyes widen, and she tries to dodge my attack. She doesn't quite make it, and it clips her arm, sending her spinning. My attack, not fully used up by the small contact it had with the girl, continues onwards a bit before detonating.

We stood, and stared at each other, her panting hard and me calming my slightly raised heart rate. I saw a glitter a fear in her eyes, as she realized something. I'm better than her. She maybe good, but I'm better. Seeing that she realizes this, my confidence only grows. The rest of this is going to be an easy...

"Our Garden!!" two voices scream out in unison. Nyanko's eyes widen, and then narrow in glee.

I turn to look at the two newcomers. They had dark hair and tight fitting evening gowns. They could have been twins. The only way to tell the two apart was the color of their dresses. I look around further, and grow a sweat drop. The two blasts that me and Nyanko had traded hadn't stopped at us. They had apparently plowed on, and now shards of crystals lay shattered everywhere, proof of our fight.

I turn my attention back to the two new women, and sweat drop further. They were both glaring at me, and if looks could kill I would be skinned, de-boned, de-sanguinated, and chopped into mincemeat by now.

"We are," the two begin as one,

"Sailor Phi," one shouts,

"Sailor Chi," the other finishes.

As one they continue. "We are the guardians of the Star Garden. For harming our harvest, prepare to die!"

"Meow!" declares Nyanko.

"Oh, boy," I mutter as all three close in on me, shuddering a bit at the last bit by Nyanko. I wish she would stop that. It freaks me out.

The following fight was not pretty. Phi and Chi were TOUGH. They were faster, stronger, and more skilled than me. The only thing they didn't have better than me was ingenuity. And man did I make use of that. In the brawl that follows, I design five new uses for the Rising Dragon Ascension Blast and three previously never before thought up variations on the Plucking Chestnuts From An Open Fire Fist. If the Star Gardeners had been pissed off before, you should see them now. If I could just keep the two from realizing I was leading them into a spiral their heat would make a Rising Dragon Ascension Blast that could blast everything in a two mile radius.

The battle slowed for a moment, after about five minutes of intense struggle. Most people would think that five minutes isn't a long time, and most people are idiots. In a real fight, were the two battlers are really trying to hurt each other, a fight is usually over a minute, maybe less. The fact that the four of us were still going was proof of our mutual skills. Well, Phi, Chi, and my skills anyway. Nyanko was still in because I had been concentrating on the two real fighters, and couldn't spare the energy it would take to knock her bracelet off.

I hadn't lost, but it really didn't look like I was going to win this fight. The only reason I'm still alive is because even though Phi and Chi are better than me, they don't have to prove it as often as me. They kept trying to separate and launch projectiles. I would just stick to one of them and use that to keep the others from shooting multicolored death. It worked, kind of. They had bruises and wounds as well, but I had more.

"Meow!" Nyanko declared, rubbing her shoulder. "I think we almost got him. Should we kill him here and now, or give him to Galaxia? She might like this one. Meow!"

Alright, that does it. I'm getting pissed. Not only is she sure that they're going to win, but she keeps saying that word. I shout at her, "Will you quit saying that!?"

Phi and Chi's eyes narrow, as Nyanko blink blinks. "Saying what? Meow?" I flinch without meaning too, and Phi and Chi begin to grin evilly. Uh-oh. I hope they don't realize...

"Tin Nyanko," the command as one. "Use your other form."

"You mean a cat? Why should I turn into a cat in the middle of a fight?" She must have noticed the way I flinched at every mention of that word. She also starts to grin viciously. And a second later, I'm confronted by one of those... things.

"AAUUGGHHH!" I screech, my body freezing up. The slathering demon takes a step towards me, and I start to shake.

"Meow," it says.

And that does it. I freeze up and begin to shake.

Phi and Chi grin at me, assuming they have won. They don't realize the half of it.

I slip into the Cat Fist.

---

There are two ways of getting out of the cat fist. One is getting hit by triggering my curse. That's the psychological equivalent of being woken up from sleep by getting smashed with a two by four. I mean, one second the poor cat brain is one gender, the next, bam, the cat is like 'I'm a boy, no I'm a girl. What the hell? I'm not even a cat!' and then consciousness returns. The other way of getting out of it is falling asleep on a quiet human. Now, I've heard that crap about only being able to be woke up by the one you love, and its just that. Crap. Genma made it up in an attempt to get me to marry Akane. The truth is I could wake up on the lap of Ryoga, as long as he sat still and shut up. I mean a perfect stranger, an old woman, woke me up the first time. I've never met her before, never saw her again, and most definitely wasn't head over heel in love with her.

This time, I wake up because I was able to sleep the cat fist off. No one triggered my curse. Waking up from the cat fist comes in phases. The first phase of my waking, is getting back into my human frame of mind while I'm asleep. That's when most of the memories of the cat fist are blocked off. I mean, who would want to remember running around on all fours and cleaning themselves with their tongue? The next phase is me being conscious, and all my surroundings kind of drifting in on me. I'm aware that I'm in someone's lap, and being petted right behind my ear, and I fuzzily collect that the person petting me is tall with long blond hair and in a flowing dress. The both of us are on a large and soft bed, her sitting on it, me sitting on her. It's really nice, and I shove my head against her hands as she pets me. Then the last phase kicks in. Being able to put memories to the images.

"Hello, Galaxia," I whisper, strangely unwilling to move from the warm and comfortable lap I'm in.

"Ranma," she greets me, a small smile on her face. "I've been looking for you."

Authors note: now, be honest. How many of you saw that coming?


	7. Chapter 7

Finding home

Chapter 6

Disclaimer. Owning is to me, as cool is to professional wrestling. (its an analogy)

_Author's new notes: Here it is. The climax. There is one more chapter, the conclusion, but before that, a response to some of the questions and reviews I've gotten from new readers. To those of you who complained that I haven't given the full story of the mangas: of course I didn't. At the time of the writing, the mangas hadn't even been completely translated. I had to hunt them down on the web. Nowadays Sailor Moon is such a staple that most people who write fan fiction on it haven't even seen all the episodes, or read all the manga. They base their fan fiction off of other fan fiction. They don't even know the true plot. For those who first read my work, when it first came out, how many actually knew the names of Nephrenia, the villain in the arc after Pharaoh 90? If you want to know the original work, than find it! Remember where the modern clichés originated from! GO back and really look at the roots of so many modern works. Anime has it's heritages, just like any others. If you really want to understand, than go back to the basics, and see how modern day genres have evolved. My work wasn't meant to restate the original, it was meant to offer an alternative. A possibility of the original two arcs interacting. _

_On another thread, the interaction between Galaxia and Ranma is right up there on my favorites as Setsuna and Ranma in "Finishing what you start". Galaxia is such a sad character. So alone, and poignant in her hopes. One last chapter left. Can you wait for it, those who have never read? Can you remember, those who have?_

_---_

"It happened when I was seven," I whisper. I don't know why I'm whispering. There's no one around us in this room. Just me and Galaxia. I don't know why I'm still in her lap for that matter, my head resting on her crossed legs, my body stretched out on the bed. She leans over me and looks into my face, her hair a golden curtain keeping the two of us cut off from the rest of the room. I think my reaction is a remnant of the Cat Fist. Or maybe I just don't want to move. I don't know. "My father was training me in the martial arts. He had heard about this invincible technique from a training manual he had stolen from his master. He wrapped me in fist sausages, and tossed me into a pit of starving cats. He did it over and over again." I feel so... detached right now. Normally, just the mention of that word is enough to send me shivering, but I find myself telling Galaxia about the experience now so calmly, like it had happened to someone else. "Finally, I cracked. If I spend too much time around cats to this day, I loose control and start acting like one."

"It sounds to me like your father was trash," she says, her voice husky, and as honeyed as her hair. I shiver a little at the sound of it.

She doesn't know that half of it. I don't like talking about all the things my father has done to me. Not just on the training trip. The abuse I could stand, the mistakes I could understand, and the training did make me stronger. All those I can accept. But his final act as my father...

"If I ever find him," I whisper, "I'm going to kill him."

When he had seduced Akane and ran off with her, abandoning me and mother, leaving some note about joining the school at all costs. That had been the final straw. Mother had begun hunting them immediately, her katana at hand. She had left the moment she had found the note, without waiting to say good bye, or trying to console me. She had left a note saying that the Saotome name has been dishonored, and than I should commit seppuka immediately. That had been the day I left Nerima forever. I still call myself 'Ranma Saotome," but I'm not even sure if I'm listed under living on the registry anymore. Mother had always been an odd one when it came to things like that.

"I see," she whispers back.

We're quiet for a bit, and than I ask. "Galaxia, what are you doing here?"

She's very quiet for a minute, her expression distant. "My home planet was very small," she begins. "Very remote. We were the only habitable planet in a very long distance. I was the only sailor in that solar system."

"Explain to me," I ask. "What are sailors? Why do they have so much power?"

Galaxia takes my interruption in stride. "Everything in the galaxy has a star crystal, even planets. They come from here: the Zero Star of Sagittarius. Planet crystals are different from regular crystals. They have to support all the other crystals, give the other crystals a place to dwell on. Sailor crystals are the same as planet crystals, only placed in the body of one that lives on a planet. It is the bearer of that special crystal that must protect the planet that they are born on to."

She stops for a moment and her hand makes its way to my face, stroking my cheek slowly. Then she continues. "I was born with one of those crystals. I was strong, so much stronger then everyone else on my planet. I came to realize that it must be some sort of mistake. How could I be so strong and forced to dwell on such a miniscule, unimportant planet? I left, and began my search through the galaxy to find the star I was meant for."

"What happened?" I ask. Why am I being so calm? I've never been in a position like this before (at least, not willingly) and it's kind of scary how easily I can accept it without freaking out. I turn my head a bit, leaning into the pressure of her fingers on my face.

"I searched for so long. I found nothing. I had begun to despair of ever finding my star, when it happened. A stranger in a bar told me where to find my star. When I got here... I found what lives here, and I found my answer."

"And what is the answer?" I ask.

"I wasn't meant to protect one star," she whispers. She leans a bit closer to me, her head drifting nearer mine. "I was meant to protect them all. They're all my stars."

I shiver. "There's more to it than that. Sailor scouts are meant to protect more than planets. Sailor crystals are representations. They symbolize acts and events," I'm talking in a low voice. I don't know what I'm saying, I can't control it. Its like a dam has broken in my mind and all of its coming out at once. "Time, silence, love, nature, fire, cold, sky, earth, creation, destruction, every abstract. For every intangible act, there is a crystal to protect that act."

"What are you talking about?" Galaxia asks, looking down at me from above, her expression uneasy.

I open my mouth to answer her, and stop. "I-I don't know. It just came out of me," I answer, stunned as she was by my words.

Her eyes narrow. "Like in the bar. Who are you, Ranma? I came to earth for two reasons. One of them was to find you. How do you know these things? What are you?"

I open my mouth to tell her that I don't know, but instead, "Now is not the time," comes out. I think she can tell by the look on my face that I don't know either. Her face is very near mine now. If I move it forward just a bit, we would come into contact...

And then we both stop talking for awhile

---

When it was over, we both lay there for a time under the sheets. I lay on my back. Her arm is tossed over my chest, holding me as her chest presses against mine. Our legs are tangled together, as are the sheets over us. The strange calm that I had been feeling ever since I had woke up from the Cat Fist is still there.

Its strange really. I've had people try to seduce me before. They had tried pretty words, skimpy clothes, drugs, force, appealing to my honor, and other things. None of them have ever even come close to getting me. But here I am. And I don't regret it one bit.

Galaxia shifts against me a bit, her breath tickling my ear. She doesn't say anything, but I can feel her looking at me. I tilt my head a bit, and my eyes meet hers. She smiles slightly, and opens her mouth to say something...

A noise suddenly sweeps through the room. It was kind of like a crystal cracking or glass shattering. Galaxia's eyes widen, and then narrow suddenly. She gets up quickly, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, and moving across the room.

The room itself is pretty big. On a slightly elevated platform, with stairs leading up to it, is the bed. Next to the bed, below the stairs is a large full length mirror. On the opposite end of the room is an upright wardrobe. Next to the wardrobe is some kind of crystal growth. I watch as she strides naked across the room, to stop in front of the crystal. I get up from the bed too, and move to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder at the crystal. The crystal displays an image like a T.V. screen (not that unusual I've seen the type before). In the crystal an image of the Three Lights, in soldier gender, landing on the fringes of the Zero star. With them is some exotically dressed woman and...

The blond with the pigtails.

"At last," Galaxia whispers. "They arrive."

"Who are they?" I ask. Galaxia seems to start slightly, like she had forgotten I was here, and then moves quickly across the room to the bed, and where our clothes lay. She moves like she's completely oblivious to our nakedness, so I don't pay much attention to it. Normally I would be freaking out, but there was the strangeness I've been feeling since I woke up makes it seem like its unimportant. We both start to get dressed as she answers.

"The other reason for my trip to earth. If I'm to protect the galaxy, all of my stars, then I must be the strongest. In order to be the strongest, there are a few things I need to take care of first."

"That girl," I ask. "She's more powerful then you. Isn't she?" Galaxia's jaw tightens, and she nods. By now we're both decent, and Galaxia strides out of the room. I follow.

"Yes she is," Galaxia answers. "But I'm not going to fight her. She will die fighting another." She reaches the end of the corridor we had entered, and she pushes open the door at the end.

The door is a side entrance to an enormous room, filled with weird pillars, all pointing of in funny directions. At one end of the chamber is a large door; at the other, a dais. Topping the dais is a large blue crystal, pulsing slightly. Galaxia strides to the heightened square, and assumes a position directly underneath the crystal.

"Galaxia Power Makeup!" she says. A feeling of power, that strange power that I've recently had so much contact with, surges into the room, and than she is standing there in her golden armored uniform. "This is my crystal. The Sapphire crystal. It is where I store the star seeds of those that wear my bracelets." For the first time, I notice the bracelet on her own wrist. She hadn't removed it, even while we were together on her bed. If the bracelet is what she uses to keep people alive without their seeds, and she was wearing one... She said it was her crystal. Had she removed it from herself?

"Give me yours." I freeze at the words. They hadn't been a request. Galaxia stands with her hand outstretched. "I will add your seed to the crystal, and then manifest you with a bracelet. Then you will always be with me."

"No." I tell her. That was all I had intended to say, but more words spilt out again. This was getting kind of spooky actually. Most people don't have to worry about saying things out of nowhere. "You are not meant to have my star seed. My crystal is for another." Galaxia's eyes harden, and she draws herself up, but I move faster than she.

"Shooting Star Iron Clothe Defense." This time, I let the handkerchief fall to the ground. Then I turn and leave, moving quickly and quietly away from the room. I can't fight her.

My mind turns blank, my concentration inward, and I'm suddenly lost.

---

I look around me. Alright, it had worked perfectly. I've escaped from the palace without even having to open one of the doors. Let her try to figure that one out.

I take a second away from my back-patting to look around. There's something that you always have to say right after you do something like this. It goes like this...

"Where on earth am I now?" There, now the technique is complete. Now I just have to figure out where I am. Now that I think about it a moment more, I'm not really on earth anymore. Oops.

Beside the one side effect of the technique, not knowing where you are, there is one more huge bad thing about getting lost: you really don't know how long you're lost either. I've escaped from the palace, and I'm now surrounded by a hideous and overgrown graveyard. Weeds sprouted everywhere, on and around graves and stones alike. Twisted, malevolent looking trees also grow, stripped of leaves despite the warmth. All it needs is a crow cawing and a zombie and the image would be complete. The zombie would probably end up attacking me though.

"The graveyard of the starseeds," I surprise myself by saying. I know this, and I know that I'm still on the Zero Star of Sagittarius. I scan the distant horizon, and to my left I can just barely make out the Palace that guards the Cauldron. Well, it would probably be best not to go in that direction. Putting the palace to my back, I start to walk. Rather than get lost this time, I keep enough of my attention focused around me to know where I'm going, and think a minute.

The strange calmness that had been on me earlier is still there. I had half hoped, half feared that it would disappear when I left that place, but that didn't work. I don't know how to feel about it. I think it might have something to do with the words that I've been saying. I think it does, and I think it has more to do with everything than that. I think its this place. Zero Star. I think it's effecting me somehow, changing me.

I deliberately turn my thoughts away from that line, and think about the starseeds. What I had said earlier? That sailor seeds were more than just protectors. It was true. Each sailor guarded a planet, yes but how often do those planets really have anything to do with what the sailors use in there attacks? How can a planet represent something, like silence or time, if it uses itself to create life? No, it was the sailor crystals themselves that had those powers. They scatter themselves across the galaxy, and stay with one on each planet to keep any one planet from being a concentration too intense. That doesn't stop them from gathering, though. In each solar system, there is a dominant crystal, a crystal that shines above all the others. That crystal, that shine, it draws the other crystals in that system. Like moths. Like moths to a light.

I shake my head. I know this is true. I know it deep within me. And it scares me. How could I possibly know this kind of thing? What is happening to me?

I stop thinking about it when I have to stop walking. There's a river in my way. Two of them actually.

The rivers stretch out in front of me, sluggishly pouring through their banks. The tumbling of the water reminds me suddenly of just how long its been since I had had any food. It must have been almost a day now. My stomach rumbles. Oh well. I can't do anything about the food, but here's some water. I wonder what these two rivers are called. I scoop up a large handful of water and bring it to my lips. I think one of them was called Lethe. Yea, one was Lethe. I think that's the other one. That would make this one... What was it? I pour some water into my mouth, and as I'm swallowing, I remember. That's right. This one was called Mnemosyne, the waters of memory.

I swallow, and than convulse as a of pain hits my head, bearing me to the floor.

---

I return to the palace to find a strange scene before me. A strange scene indeed.

The galaxy cauldron is immense. Inside it is frothing soup that creates stars, lights shoot forth occasionally, popping out of bubbles and little whirlpools. From this soup, a shape rises. It is dark and misty, ephemeral. Two eyes glow from it. In front of this dark power, the blond with the two pigtails stands, glowing in defiance.

"Ohhh! Such power!" says the energy. "That white brilliance! The power of the strongest light in the galaxy! So it has finally made it here to me. I am Chaos. The one who missed becoming a star. And the ruler of this cauldron's stars of darkness."

"Chaos!?" says the blond.

"Successor to the power of the light of this beautiful cauldron. Your siblings, born from this same sea. The stars of evil darkness. Defeated by your hand. Adding brilliance to yourself. So your name has become known throughout all the galaxy. Heh heh heh."

"Siblings!?" says blonde. "Stars of evil darkness!?"

"Seeking the power of light, roaming the galaxy. The incarnations of evil darkness. The kin you have wiped out. They were all alter selves of me. They all departed from here, crossing time and space. You are siblings."

"All siblings, born here, in the same place...!?" the blond stutters, shocked by what she is being told.

"Your coming here was destiny," says Chaos. "Where there is light, there is darkness. The darkness calls to the light, and the light calls again to the darkness. Our destiny matches. As before, when everything was one here, the time has now come again for light and darkness to join hands! Soldier of the galaxy's strongest light, Sailor Moon! Give me your power now! At last, my long-awaited wish has come, for me to rule all the universe instead of this cauldron!"

Next to the blond, Galaxia starts to stir. I watch all this from my position on the outside of the battle. No one realizes that I'm here, and I intend to keep it that way.

"Why did you save me?" Galaxia asks the blond.

"Galaxia!" says the chick with the weird pigtails, apparently surprised at Galaxia waking up.

"Finish me off! Chaos paid me no mind from the start. I can't win over such a huge existence after all. My answers weren't here, either."

"I gave you my hand because inside you, I saw the loneliness of myself. I don't want to lose any more friends." I nod at what the blond says. Yes. There was a loneliness there. I think that was why her seduction worked on me. All my other fiancés, every other amorous intent, had been a passing thing. Just something to pass the time until something better came along. But Galaxia was different. I think that she, in the whole universe, is probably the most alone. Well, maybe next to myself...

"I am an enemy!" says Galaxia. "This is war!"

"I can't fight anymore," says Sailor Moon, the blond. "Everyone is gone. All this time, it wasn't for peace and justice. I only fought for the ones I love, and my friends. But now they're all gone. If I don't have my most precious ones... For who, for what should I fight?"

"Heh..." says Galaxia. "Both you and I can't fight. If the last sailor soldier is no more... Will now be the end of war?"

"The end of war..."

"Ohh..." says Chaos. His dark form begins to swell and pulsate.

"No," says another girl. I look at her, and than my breath catches in my throat. Her! "The wars will not end. They will always continue. But you can end this war, the one now. To save the galaxy's future. Sailor Moon, with your last power, eliminate the source of all the enemies, Chaos and the Cauldron, and end the war!"

"Chaos, and the Cauldron!? Chibi-Chibi?" The blond looks at the small girl, in confusion. "Chaos is now completely one with the Cauldron. To completely eliminate Chaos, there is no choice but to destroy the Cauldron."

"But if the Cauldron is gone, no more stars can be born! Someday the galaxy's future will be no more!"

"But if you don't do that," says the small girl, Chibi-Chibi I think Moon called her, "this war and the history of suffering will continue forever! It will all be on your shoulders, Sailor Moon. You will regret this, Sailor Moon!"

"Chibi-Chibi...?"

As Moon looks at Chibi-Chibi, I begin to prepare myself. I know what I must do. I just hope, pray to anything that will listen, that I will not have to do it.

"As long as stars can continue to be born, war will not end," Moon says. "The darkness calls to the light, and the light calls again to the darkness. Is this the will of the galaxy? Saying I will end the war... Will that be the end of everything? And that glaive of death, this time must I be the one to bring it down?" I dare to hope. Please, please, please don't do it.

"But you have no choice," says Chibi-Chibi. "There is no alternative. To bring peace to the galaxy, there is nothing else..."

"But even if this galaxy is destroyed," says Galaxia. The two give her a sharp look, like they've forgotten that she was there. "-somewhere a new Cauldron will surely be born again. Somewhere a new future will begin, and light and darkness may be born again. The end of war will not come so easily. A new future... Amazing, that those words are still inside me."

"Yes," says Moon. "Yes. New futures will always continue to be created. And there, light and darkness, war and hope, life and death, joy and pain, will all exist again. Everything, that is this universe."

Galaxia struggles to her feet, and looks into the cauldron for a moment. Then, her gaze swings around, and just for the barest moment, it settles on me. I lock up. Can she see me? Her eyes widen, and she begins to reach out to me, her mouth opening...

The bracelets on her wrists crack.

She drops to her knees.

The bracelets shatter.

Galaxia is no more.

"Galaxia!?" Moon cries. I draw a shuddering breath. Damn...

All that remains of that beautiful star is the golden brooch she wore.

The blond picks it up, and holds it for a second, tears coming to her eyes.

"Chibi-Chibi," she says. "I won't give up. Everyone always told me... At the end of war there is hope and future. I will make our future. So don't you abandon hope and the future, either. Believe. Our star of hope will never disappear. As long as it keeps shining, we will be all right. We won't be defeated."

"Right," says the little girl, and I see her face settle on to something. Some kind of decision. Light glows around her, and then she transforms. She floats up in her glowing adult body, and kisses Moon.

"Chibi-Chibi?" the blond asks. Her voice is very soft. I can just barely make it out, despite my enhanced senses. Their hands touch. A look of resolve suddenly enters Moon's face. Energy storms around them. This is it, a course of action. I prepare myself, and hope that I won't have to kill her.

"Sailor Moon!" calls Chaos. "The mother Cauldron is your grave! This is the birth of the universe's strongest star, Chaos!"

Moon leaps into the air.

"Chaos. Queen Metallia. Death Phantom. Pharaoh 90. Nephrenia. And Galaxia. I know now, why you were seeking my power. It is the same as the feeling that I seek for the ones I love, and my friends. We are all stars alone. We meet our desire, wanting to be as one. As one. That is how we begin. And now, I, too, will seek you. I will envelop you. Inside this cauldron, to save everything."

"Ohhhh!!" the black form in the cauldron moans.

Moon descends into the shining cauldron. I let her fall. What she has decided to do... I won't need to stop. Not this time. Her silhouette, from my angle, seems so small in comparison to Chaos in front of her, and the cauldron beneath her.

She descends into the cauldron like a moth to light. But is the light she descends towards the moon, a streetlamp, or a flame?

---

I perch on the ledge I rest on like a gargoyle on a cathedral. When I had woken up after drinking that water, the water of memory, I had known. Why I knew things without knowing how I knew them. Why I was feeling so calm. And even why my life had been so strange. I had known that, and I had known what I had to do. I hadn't liked it, but I had come prepared to do it. Luckily, events have turned out as they had.

My musing is interrupted by the entrance of four more girls in sailor suits from this system. They all had the oddest hair, and I'm suddenly reminded of Shampoo. They cry out and their stars begin to emit light and power. Inside the cauldron, the soup beneath Moon rumbles, and then lights up, pushing out a beam of light like a searchlight. The light in the four intensified, and than their star seeds shot out of their chests, and joined their comrades in the cauldron. In the center of the light, a winged figure is bathed in power.

"Moon power make up, Eternal!" Moon cries, and I'm struck by the huge power like a physical blow. The sailor crystals shoot out in all directions at Chaos, leaving the cauldron behind them.

"Ohhh! Are you trying to break me apart!? Stop!! Ohhhh!" Chaos screams as the crystals envelop it.

Moon's body melts away as she drops into the cauldron, but I can still feel her power, the power of her starseed, pulsing. If anything, it got stronger.

"Sailor Moon!?" the funny-looking four cry.

I turn my attention away from the cauldron as the light from it intensifies. I have someone else to find. There. She is behind the strange looking four. I leap from my perch, covering the ground between me and the five women like a great big grasshopper. I listen to their conversation as I come closer.

"Wow!" says one of them. "This flood of lights!? What on earth!?"

"The sailor crystals of the sailor soldiers scattered in the Cauldron," says the woman I was looking for, "are returning to their original forms, and going back to their own planets."

The four who I don't recognize start and turn on the voice, apparently surprised. "Chibi-Chibi?"

"They are all still just starseeds born from the Cauldron, but as they reach their respective planets, they will grow, and return to their forms of before," the one they call Chibi-Chibi tells them.

"It can't be," they say. "This... Sailor Moon sacrificed herself, with the power of the Silver Moon Crystal!?"

"No," says the woman. "This power of rebirth is the realization of the power of all the galaxy's sailor crystals as one. This is the Cosmos Crystal's, making everything into the static Cosmos, the ultimate Lambda Power."

I nod behind them, though no one can see me. I wince slightly and stop nodding when I feel a sharp pain in my stomach. It's starting. Meanwhile, the four clueless ones are doing fish impressions. Bug eyed and with mouths gaping open. "Cosmos Crystal!? Lambda Power!? Who are you...?"

I almost puke when the woman strikes a pose. Partly from the pain, partly from the lack of originality. "I am Sailor Cosmos."

"Sailor Cosmos!?" says one of the chicks. "It can't be... It can't be... Are you the future... The future Sailor Moon's ultimate form!?"

"I am only a coward," Cosmos says. "I abandoned everything, and ran away from where I should have been. Eternally, I am no match for the final courage and strength of Eternal Sailor Moon."

"Final courage!?" Dread passes over the faces of the other girls. Another shock of pain races through me, and I loose control of my self defense technique. Luckily, everyone else is apparently glued to the sight of Moon doing her work. "Then, is Sailor Moon-!? She can't be... Sailor Cosmos! Our princess...!"

"Do not worry," Cosmos says smugly in an all-knowing and condescending sort of way. "Your princess, the same as the other soldiers, was reborn by that Lambda Power. Someday, in that flow of lights, she will arrive safely back in the 30th century. This is the Galaxy Cauldron. Where the galaxy's stars are born, and where they finally return. To engage the source of all the enemies who inhabited here, Chaos, Eternal Sailor Moon..."

"Eternal Sailor Moon melted Chaos into the cauldron," I finish for her. The five jump and spin, turning to face me. I'm only a step or two behind them,. and I ignore their startled faces as another wave of pain rushes through me. Not much longer...

"Who are you!?" one of the four shouts at me. "How did you get here!?" The four look like they were about to attack. Cosmos, on the other hand, takes a startled breath as her eyes widened and she took a step back.

"Who am I?" I ask softly. Oh well. I might as well go out with style. My arm shoots up into the air, and in my hand appears a black transformation stick without anything mounted on either end. "Star of Chaos power. Makeup!" A rush of dark power surround me, and when it clears I stand before the five. "I am Sailor Chaos, defender of the dark star."

Cosmos narrow her eyes, but the other four just stand there gawking. It might have something to do with my outfit. Or the fact that the transformation apparently took me to my girl form. My right leg is bare to the hip, while my left is encased in a leotard. The leotard covers my hips, and both of my breasts (though it does leave a lot of the left side of my midriff exposed) and terminates covering my right arm to the wrist. My left arm is bare to the shoulder. Wrapped around me like a poncho with a hood is a large stretch of chain mail. The chain mail is polished to mirror like brightness, while the leotard is checkered like a harlequin's suit with black, red, and white squares. On both of my feet are slippers like the ones I use to wear around when I was a kid.

I turn my attention back to the cauldron, ignoring the stares. "Chaos is a starseed, just like any other planet or idea in this universe. Since all the others have protectors, it stands to reason that Chaos to would have a sailor soldier for his aid. I am that protector. I had been standing by, ready to act. If Sailor Moon had indeed tried to destroy the cauldron, as Cosmos wished her to, I would have been forced to act." The eye of the five in front of me widen. "To kill her," I finish. "However, she did not. Instead, she chose to dissolve Chaos back into the cauldron. Because of this, Chaos will no longer have the power of the cauldron, that is true. But, like the other stars that are being reborn as we speak, so will he." I take a sharp breath. There, in my legs. It's started. "And since Chaos is being dissolved and reborn, so must I." Their eyes widen even as I begin to dissolve, feet first.

I'm not worried. I'll be reborn, but not on any particular planet. I have no home planet (Chaos likes his soldier to be different). When I drank from Mnemosyne, it all returned to me. Over countless eons have I been reborn, always on a different planet, always to a different name, always with the same purpose. My purpose: to stop Cosmos, the incarnation of a static universe. And when I'm reborn next, I will do this. I will have allies, moths attracted to my bright light just like any other soldiers do. Galaxia, the sailor of true destruction (not like Saturn, who was just the soldier of silence), will be one of them, as will others. But there will be some time between then and now, and during that time...

Well, I wish I could have gone to the wedding between the young man and the blond haired chick with the strange ponytails, but we can't always get what they want. I hope they have a happy life between now and my return.

Author's note: All right. There is one more planned episode, the dénouement, and I might write a lemon insert for the part where Galaxia and Ranma bang each other's eyes out. I would like to give credit where credit is due. While I have read the translated comics, most of the translations I used in this fic were done by one Alex Glover Thank you.


	8. Chapter 8

Finding Home

Denouement

Disclaimer. Yup. Disclaimers are good, I recken'.

_Author's new notes: And there it is. The peril's of finding a place to call home, and the joy's that lay there once it is found. Good night, and sleep well readers._

Author's note: A denouement is the closing action of a piece of work.

The bar grows quiet for a second as I enter. The swinging doors open and clothes themselves behind me, slowly settling back into a quiet and unmoving resting position. The current customers at the bar give me a quick once over, and then for the most part turn back to the drinks. Others give me a more lingering look, but I ignore them. Mostly women, the barmaid's, but a couple of men eye me suggestively.

I ignore them. They're really not that important. I sit on an empty stool, and wait for the bartender, a super-buff looking woman with a neck bigger than her arms (an impressive feet, considering how big her arms were), to come by.

Two hundred years.

That's how long I've been wondering the galaxy.

After the battle at the cauldron, after my dissolution, I had woken up on a strange planet with... interesting... vegetation (bloody twelve foot tall man-eating plants). I had spent a couple of days meandering about, finding out where I am, and then I had begun my journey.

If I am to protect Chaos, I must first find him. After he was dissolved, he too was reborn, but he had been reborn as a star seed. It will take many, many years for him to rebuild himself, to gather enough energy to make himself as powerful as he once was. And I will make sure that no-one harms him until then.

Only problem is I have no idea where he had been reborn.

I can make a few guesses. One thing I know about Chaos, is that it hates to pull the same trick twice. Last time he had been in the cauldron, the center of the galaxy. This time, well I'm willing to bet he's at the rim. The end of the galaxy. Problem is, that's a lot of ground to cover.

Oh, well. I got time.

Which explains why I am where I am. I've been traveling the star systems of the galaxy for two hundred years now, hopping from one planet to another as I work my way around the rim of the galaxy. I've nearly covered one twentieth of the total planets that round the rim. Each time I land on a planet, I go around it, speedily circling it once or twice, trying to feel my star. I'll know when I'm close to it. I just have to get in the general vicinity of the thing.

No luck there yet.

The bartender finally works her way over to where I'm waiting patiently. "Wha'da wan'?" she asked. She gives me one of those looks that I've grown so used to. Truth be told though, a suggestive look from a woman built like that is scary.

"Just something good. Surprise me," I tell her. She snorts and goes about getting my drink prepared.

"Don't get much visitors 'round 'ere," she informs me as drinks and alcohols mix together. "Where ya from?"

"Earth," I tell her. She nearly drops a bottle. A couple of bar patrons cough when they hear my words. I'm suddenly conscious of all the people in the bar giving me covert glances.

"Really?" she asks eagerly, reminding me of a puppy. "Have ya seen tha Queenie? Whatsherface. Serenity?"

"We've met," I tell her with a wry grin. She looks impressed.

" 'eard good thin's 'bout tha'on," she nods. "Wha'da think 'bout 'er?"

"Well," I answer. "I'm going to hate having to kill her." The room goes dead quiet with my words, as all the people who have been pretending not to listen stop talking to glare at me. Well now that I have their attention, might as well make use of it. "So. Can anyone tell me the place where stars are born?"

Alright. Maybe I have an extra reason to search the rim first. Maybe I'm hoping I'll run into her someday. Maybe the galaxy is a big place, but that doesn't mean that I can't hope. A couple of the people glaring daggers at me get puzzled expressions on their faces, but the rest all just keep looking like they want to kill me.

" 'lright, buddy," the barkeeper says behind me, sounding angry. "I think ya better jus move on." She puts a beefy hand on my shoulder, clenching hard in an effort to put some pain on me.

Of course I don't feel a thing through the chain mail poncho. (Did I forget to mention that I travel the galaxy transformed? Perhaps I should have. The only reason that scouts can transform and de-transform like that is incase they want to lead civilian lives. Since I have no home planet, or purpose beside that of protecting Chaos, I guess I really don't care who knows that what I am. Of course, nobody yet knows that what I'm wearing marks me as Sailor Chaos, but they will someday).

"Hmm," I hum. "Oh well. I guess I don't need my drink after all." I stand up and head towards the door. While I'm pushing it open, somebody behind me speaks. I freeze halfway through my exit.

"I know where stars are born."

Without turning around I say, "I doubt that."

"Zero Star of Sagittarius."

That does it. Very slowly, I turn around. There, in a booth by the door, hidden in shadows and behind a hood, the speaker. I half smile, and began to move very slowly towards the figure, as though I'm in a dream. I ignore the rest of the bar. They're unimportant. Trash.

I reach the cloaked figure, and push back the hood, revealing a bowed head.

Underneath it I'm greeted by a shock of honey blond hair, held back by an exotic looking gold head piece.

"How do you know that?" I whisper to her. The head lifts up, a serious expression on her face as it turns towards me.

"I don't know," she answers.

"Then what do you know?" I ask as I take a seat across from her in the booth.

And then she smiles. "I know my name is Galaxia." I smile back without saying anything as she continues. "And I'm sorry about this."

And with that she knocks the little table that the booth wraps around, despite the fact that its bolted to the ground, grabs the front of my poncho, and pulls me in close to her.

We kiss each other, desperately, like moths plunging themselves into candles.

I know I must protect Chaos. It's my purpose. But I don't have to do that alone. Until then, I've found another light to be drawn to.

I've found a home.

END


End file.
